


Point Blanc

by TrueMud



Category: Alex Rider (TV 2020), Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Boarding School, F/M, References to Drugs, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:54:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueMud/pseuds/TrueMud
Summary: Just a little reimagining of the T.V show/ books I did for fun. How good was the new show btw? The sequel is now uploaded and complete.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

A boy of seventeen sat in the chair opposite her in the dark grey offices that were MI6. Blunt was to her right, and to the right of him was Jones. Both had perfected the art of appearing neutral, but Chloe was incredulous  
“You have to be kidding. He’s just a kid," she was angry and looking for a fight. But the boy just looked annoyed and tired.  
“You’re just as young as I am," he argued, “besides, she’s right. I am too young and I don’t want this. You can take your spy shit and fuck off."  
She’d never heard anyone talk to Blunt and Jones like that, apart from her. Their statue-like composure was not broken.  
“Alex, I wish you would reconsider. A lot is at stake in this mission and we believe you are the key to making it a success."  
“Why?” he scowled.  
“Yes, please tell us why?" the agent parroted. This was supposed to be her first mission as a fledgeling. She didn’t want some schoolboy messing it up.  
“Because Point Blanc is a school for troubled teens," Jones explained.  
“I’m a troubled teen and an agent." Chloe pointed at herself, then at Alex, “he’s just sixth former with issues."  
“He’s the nephew of Ian Rider, agent Hartford."  
Chloe’s eyes widened. The man was a legend in MI6.  
“You’re kidding?” she eyed him, suddenly embarrassed that she had been so needlessly aggressive. He had just lost his uncle.  
“As far as I’m concerned, my uncle was a banker and I’d like to keep it that way. I want to go home and pretend this whole thing was a really stupid fever dream."  
“Don’t you want to find out who killed him?” Blunt said calmly, “we have reason to believe the headmaster at Point Blanc, Grief, had a hand in his murder."  
The boy was silent, chewing on this new information.  
“What makes you think that?”  
“That’s classified."  
“Of course," he scoffed, “if you can’t give me a real answer, I’m leaving. A bunch of spies were always going to be liars anyway."  
“Sit down." Jones’ voice carried the weight of years commanding agents in life or death missions. It was not a voice to disobey. Alex stayed seated. Blunt laced his fingers together.  
“Let me put this another way," he began, “who is your caretaker at home?”  
Alex’s only answer was a cold silence.  
“Jack, I believe is her name. An American. And it looks like her visa is running out soon. Not to mention she just graduated. She’s not the type to cheat, is she? It would be a shame to have her qualifications revoked."  
Alex’s skin burned red, “you bastard. You wouldn’t."  
Chloe knew Blunt wasn’t bluffing. For him to have this Jack person deported would be as easy as making a cup of tea.  
“Only if I don’t have to."  
The girl was slightly saddened to see Alex deflate in defeat. Though he never had a chance to begin with, it was fun seeing him hurl insults at a man who always demanded such respect.  
“Fine," he relented, “I’ll do it. But you have to start telling me what the hell is going on. Explain to me how Ian could have possibly been a spy. Explain to me why this Grief person had him killed."  
“Ian worked with us for years. He was our top agent. Did you never wonder why he had to go away for long business trips, seemingly at random? Why sometimes he came back with a bruised face or a broken arm?”  
“No," Alex admitted, “he always had a reason."  
“That’s good. It means his cover was so effective, he fooled his own family."  
Alex didn’t find that as pleasing as Blunt did.  
“We believe he found something before he was killed," Jones cut in, “it stands to reason that whoever killed him did so to keep it hidden."  
“And you think that person is Grief? Why?”  
“Because of what you found, Alex. You found his notes, you found the link to Point Blanc."  
“I wish I hadn’t."  
“I’m sorry you feel that way," she said without sounding it, “but lives may be saved due to this mission. We already know murder isn’t beyond our enemies."  
“If I could add something-” Chloe raised her hand in mock classroom fashion, “how is he agent material? What chance would he stand in interrogation? Fights? Hell, even just maintaining a cover story?”  
“I can fight," Alex said, puffing his chest out slightly.  
“Really?” she rolled her eyes. Every jumped-up teenage boy on the planet thought he could fight.  
“I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. Alex here has been trained for covert operations since he could walk."  
“What?” Chloe and Alex spoke in unison.  
“I’m pretty sure I would have noticed that," the boy said, incredulous.  
“Oh? So you aren’t proficient in Krav Maga?”  
Chloe stared at Alex in disbelief as he shrugged.  
“And you can’t speak four languages?” Alex furrowed his brow in thought. Things were coming together, “it was my understanding," Blunt continued, “that you are a certified scuba diver and freestyle rock climber, you can snowboard and ski, ride horses, you’ve demonstrated proficiency in archery and shooting and spent weeks camping with your uncle with nothing but the clothes on your backs," Blunt took a breath, “what do you think the purpose of all of that was? You were raised for this, Alex."  
The boy was stunned. He stared at his hand as if it were a foreign object. He clenched it into a fist.  
“I know you must be quite overwhelmed, but this is a good thing," Jones said, trying to sound kind, “this mission is purely reconnaissance. You go in, look around, then we take you out. No fighting, no high-speed chases, no James Bond nonsense. This is real life. The safety of our agents is the top priority. There is no need to be scared, Alex. You feel like something is wrong or your life is in danger and we pull you out, simple as that."  
The boy had been silent as the two elder agents said their piece. He met Blunt’s gaze with fierce eyes.  
“Spare me," he spat, “if you cared about safety, Ian would be alive."  
Chloe couldn’t disagree. Ian might have been one of the top agents, but that only meant he got shafted with the most dangerous missions. The one’s only the best could come back from. Blunt sighed for the second time that evening. He was beginning to realise that two teenage agents were going to be a handful.  
“I think we have talked enough for today. You have until the 4th, two days from now to memorise your cover story. You are now Alex Friend, the son of a billionaire food industry tycoon. Chloe will come with you, she’s memorised both your covers and will teach you everything you need to know about Mr Friend. She will be Chloe Friend, your sister."  
The two exchanged an enigmatic glance.  
“Nice to meet you, I suppose," she said.  
They shook hands.  
“Does she have to come to my house?”  
“I don’t see why not. This is not a sleepover," said Blunt.  
“Not used to having girls over are you?” she teased. Alex didn’t rise to her provocation.  
“Well?” he said, “let’s get this over with."

Blunt and Jones accompanied Chloe to her little room at MI6. Located just opposite the main building, the ‘Barracks’ as the agents called it was another dilapidated structure that drew no attention. Broken glass and debris littered the floor just outside. The tinted windows were broken and there was a metal barrier blocking the entrance. It read NO ENTRY. DANGEROUS BUILDING in white letters against red. The three passed the barrier, instead of coming to stand in front of the rear wall of the structure. There was a tiny red dot in one of the windows, unnoticeable unless you already knew it was there. A camera that was linked to the front desk. Blunt looked into it and all of a sudden, the wall shifted in on itself and sideways.

The foyer of the Barracks was laid out in front of them. Usually, there would be at least a few trainees milling about, but there was a basketball game on today between floors. They would all be in the courts in the basement. The foyer was clean and white, decorated with green potted plants and indecipherable art on the walls. Chloe’s room was much the same. Clean and white and devoid of personality. It was built for function over style. The girl’s heartbeat was quick with nerves. The Chief Executive of Foreign Operations and his deputy didn’t make house calls. But this was a unique mission. Chloe was never supposed to depart on her first until she was at least eighteen. Even then, it was a matter of a mission presenting itself. That she had been asked to take part while still a minor was unheard of in MI6. It wasn’t done. She guessed that was the reason the two higher-ups were taking a special interest. The girl had been around the two for most of her life. They one the ones making the decisions for her after MI6 took her in.  
“Pack your things quickly,” Blunt said, “the car is waiting.”  
All Chloe had to do was pick up her suitcase. She had packed and repacked a dozen times the night before.  
“There are a few more things to discuss,” Jones wiped her glasses.  
“What’s that?”  
“There’s the matter of Alex Rider’s safety. Not only is he underage but he’s a civilian, though one with unique skills,” Chloe realised that the woman was cleaning her glasses to distract herself from what she was about to say. Even she could have nervous habits, “there’s the matter of responsibility and command.”  
The girl understood.  
“You’re saying I’m responsible for him? That I have to keep him safe?”  
“Yes. This may be your first mission, but you’re more experienced overall. Usually, we would pair a veteran with you to learn from, however, that is not possible this time. You’re going to have to learn on the job.”  
The girl was frustrated with being given the handicap that was Alex Rider, but it wouldn’t do well to argue against it now.  
“I can handle it. I’m ready.”  
“No. You’re not,” Blunt rubbed the bridge of his nose. The closest to expressing his emotions as he ever got, “you have not completed your training, to say nothing of your usual behaviour.”  
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life,” Chloe met the man’s sceptical eyes, “this is what it has all been leading to. I won’t let you down.”  
“There’s one last thing,” Jones put her glasses on, “get your ears pierced tomorrow. Smithers has got into jewellery making.”

In the car ride over to the house, Alex argued with Jones over what to tell Jack about the whole situation. It was obvious to Chloe that there was no way she could be told the truth. The saying what you don’t know can’t be held against you was practically gospel in MI6. Eventually, Alex agreed to keep her in the dark. The smart choice. The only choice. She was less happy to agree to pretend to be Alex’s girlfriend to explain her sudden appearance, but there were bigger things to worry about. Then there was the matter of explaining their sudden need to leave after the two days were over. Together, they decided that the only thing that would make sense was for them to say they were going on a short holiday to get away from everything for a while. It might make Jack sad to be on her own, but there was no other choice.

Alex’s house proved to be small but stylish. Located on the corner of the street, it sat modestly and unassuming amongst a sea of identical buildings. The boy knocked on the door despite having a key. Jack opened the door and smiled at Alex, then beamed at Chloe, showing gleaming white teeth. She was a short woman of about twenty-five with black skin and curly black hair that was wider than it was long. There was a warm glow about her, even though the weather outside was grey and dreary.  
“Hi," Chloe beamed right back, “I’m Chloe, Alex’s girlfriend."  
Jack gasped and ignored the girl’s hand, pulling her into a hug instead.  
“Alex! I had no idea! Where have you been hiding this one, hey?”  
The three entered the house. Outside, Jones’ tinted windowed car drove off from its spot just around the bend.  
“Come and sit down. I want to hear all about you, how you met, everything," Jack’s accent made Chloe and Alex’s London affectations sound strange. They sat around a spotless glass coffee table in a spotless living room full of pictures of Ian and Alex on holiday together. The decor was simple and minimalist, all whites and creams and blacks. Jack set down a tray with three mugs of tea. Chloe took hers black.  
“Alex and I met at school. Simple story, really. I saw him in the library and thought he was cute, so I asked him out for a coffee,” simple stories were always best, and Jack seemed happy enough, “I just want to say how sorry I am about Ian. I unfortunately never got the chance to meet him, but from what Alex has said, he was a good man."  
“Thank you, Chloe. I appreciate that," Jack rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand before any tears fell, “but let's talk about happier things. How long have you been together?”  
“Only a few weeks now," Alex said, “is it okay if she stays for a few days? The power and utilities have all failed at her flat."  
“‘Course, honey. And you don’t need to lie about a power cut for me to let your girlfriend stay over," she said with a wink.  
Alex chuckled nervously, but Chloe didn’t try to hide her mirth, both amused and relieved that Jack had seen through one lie but not another. They spent the evening playing board games and listening to music. Chloe helped Jack prepare dinner while Alex set the table and would wash the dishes after the meal. Jack proved exceedingly easy to get along with. The woman was quick-witted and snarky without ever seeming unkind. The only element of the cover story that worried the agent was the chemistry between herself and the newbie. She had no desire to act like a lovestruck teenager with a complete stranger. She compromised by sitting a little closer than she would have preferred and occasionally touching his knee. He played his part by putting his arm around her while they watched a movie, but after she left to go to the bathroom, he didn’t put it back. Just as well, it was clear they were both uncomfortable with it. At around midnight, Jack announced that ten rounds of UNO were one too many and left for bed. She gave a wink before she disappeared upstairs. The two strangers were left in awkward silence. With no further need to keep up the facade, it was hard to know what to say.  
“I’ll get the blow-up mattress."  
Alex left her in his room while he got the bed from the garage. The room was as clean as the rest of the house. The boy’s walls were decorated with a couple of movie posters and a signed t-shirt from his favourite footballer lovingly protected behind a glass frame. There was a single bed and a wooden desk. Unable to help her instincts, she opened its drawers only to find stationary and schoolwork. She left the drawers how she found them, hoping to find something more interesting in the wardrobe. Again, nothing exciting. Clothes and more clothes, black and white seemed to be the favourite combination. The only thing of any interest were the many trophies hidden away behind them. Freerunning, archery, football… Why was he hiding them away? Didn’t most people display their achievements? That's what she would do. A noise startled her. When Alex entered the room with the blow-up mattress, she was sitting on the bed, absently scrolling through her phone.  
“You can blow it up," he said, breathing heavily from dragging the awkward shape upstairs. When she was done, they began preparing him for his new identity.  
“It’s late and we’re both tired so this will be the briefest of briefings. We’ll go over it in more detail tomorrow."  
He agreed, desperate to get some sleep and think about nothing for a while. After twenty minutes of explaining the life of a fictional boy, Chloe quizzed him.  
“Name?”  
“Alex Friend.”  
“Family?”  
“Parents are Caroline and David Friend, 56 and 57 years old. Sisters are you, Chloe, 17, and Fiona, 19."  
“Good," he was a fast learner, “what about education?"  
“Kicked out of Eaton last year. Me and you started a fire."  
“Which building?”  
“Science block."  
“Last question for now," Alex rubbed his sleepy eyes, “how do you feel about me? Chloe Friend?”  
“We get on all right for the most part. The reason we started that fire was because we wanted to get kicked out. Partners in crime you might say.”  
“Good stuff, Alex. You got it all."  
“Amazing. Now can I go to sleep?”  
Chloe was about to say something snarky but held her tongue. The poor boy looked ready to sleep through to next week. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was pale. The agent wasn’t exactly experienced in comforting a grieving person, but she gave it her best shot, placing a cautious hand on his shoulder.  
“For what it’s worth, I really am sorry about what happened to Ian. It’s not fair that you have to deal with all of this."  
The boy looked at her suspiciously, wondering why she was deciding to be nice all of a sudden.  
“Thanks…” he said, “did you know him?”  
“I knew of him. MI6 is a big place. And I wasn’t lying to Jack. From what I heard, he was a great man.”  
There was a pregnant pause. Alex’s eyes had grown moist.  
“Is there somewhere I can change?” she asked.  
“Ensuite is through there," he pointed to the bathroom door as he hid his face in his shoulder.

The girl pulled on a loose t-shirt and shorts and got ready for bed. She had only been about five minutes, but Alex was already fast asleep, breathing softly. She ungracefully lowered herself on the squishy blow-up bed and pulled out her phone to set an alarm, then turned it off again. Alex needed to sleep and she would wake up at 6 am alarm or not. Once again her heart went out to him. She couldn’t imagine the turmoil he must have been feeling. She only hoped that he could overcome it.

* * *

Please leave a review and tell me what you thought!


	2. Chapter 2

Years of training camp had made waking up at any time other than 6 am impossible. Chloe looked to the window where the street was still pitch black. With nothing else to do, she took her clothes into the bathroom and got ready for a run. To her surprise, Jack was already up and cooking breakfast. The smell of pancakes made the agent’s mouth water.  
“Morning," she said, startling Jack out of her pancake making trance, “nice to finally meet another early riser."  
“Oh, morning," Jack smiled, “off for a run?”  
“Yep. Didn’t want to wake up sleeping beauty so I thought I would make myself scarce. He looked like he could use the extra hours."  
“That’s good of you," Jack said while expertly flipped a thick pancake, “be safe. There’ll be breakfast waiting for you when you get back."

Chloe used her run as an opportunity to explore Alex’s neighbourhood. She made note of all the corner shops and chemists she saw, the shortcut to the park and the train station. After all, she was supposed to be from here. She set up directions to Alex’s school on her phone. It took about 10 minutes to jog to the front gates. The courtyard was empty as the school wouldn’t open for another few hours. The agent familiarised herself with the layout as best she could without going inside. Through a dozen wide windows, she could almost see hundreds of heads busy in their books, learning about quadratic equations and World War Two. This was Alex’s life, the life of millions of children all over the world. Chloe couldn’t decide if she envied or pitied them. Her phone pinged.  
Where are you?  
It was from the newbie. Maybe she should have left a note. She opened the camera app and took a picture of herself in front of the wrought iron gates.  
_Sightseeing_.  
She wrote.  
_Creep_  
He sent back.

The girl sprinted the rest of the way back home and stretched before she pressed the doorbell. Jack answered, her apron covered in icing sugar.  
“You look like a girl in need of some pancake-y goodness."  
“Shower first." Chloe panted, “so sweaty."  
Jack got her a tall glass of water and she gulped it down.  
“Were you being chased on the last leg?” Jack laughed. Chloe’s pale face was bright red and covered in sweat.  
“I just like to push myself through the last part. That’s when you start breaking through barriers."  
“Do you take running quite seriously then?”  
“I guess. It’s one of my favourite things to do. I used to be on the cross country team at… school."  
In reality, she had been on the team at MI6. There was also a tennis team, football team, swim team and rugby team. It was just something the higher-ups thought would keep the agents who were in between missions busy. Many lived at MI6 headquarters and didn’t have much else better to do. Ian’s situation where he had his own home and lived with his family was fairly rare. Chloe was only a baby when it happened, but rumour had it that Ian had threatened to quit if he wasn’t allowed to take care of his orphaned nephew. 

The boy in question was currently using his shower so, for ten minutes, Chloe had to sit there in her sweaty clothes waiting for him to step out. She passed the time by stretching her muscles out even further. She was in the middle of flexing her hip on the floor when the door opened. Steam poured in the room as Alex entered wearing a loose white towel around his hips. His clothes had hidden it, but he had the body of an athlete. Lean rather than bulky, Alex held power coiled in each muscle. His skin was tan despite the season and the suggestion of a six-pack glistened on his wet skin. He stopped when he saw her, but then decided he didn’t care about her seeing him half-naked. The newbie gestured to the bathroom.  
“All yours," he said.  
Chloe was glad she was still overheated from her run because if she wasn’t, there would be no excuse for her flushed cheeks. She set the shower to a cold as it would go and threw off her clothes. The water was punishing, but some thoughts should be punished.  
She met them both downstairs for breakfast fifteen minutes later wearing loose joggers and a t-shirt. Her wet hair was in a bun. Jack finished cooking the last pancake and brought them over with an assortment of flavourings to choose from. Chloe had always preferred lemon and icing sugar, Alex went for strawberry jam while Jack placed fried egg and bacon on hers.  
“This is delicious," the agent said, covering her mouth as she spoke.  
“Jack makes the best pancakes," Alex agreed.  
“That’s because they’re American pancakes. They’re thicker and absorb all the flavours better."  
“So what state are you from?” Chloe asked, “I’m bad with American accents."  
“California. But I was from a military family so we moved a lot. California’s where we spent the most time though."  
“I’ve always wanted to go. There are some hiking trails that I’d love to try one day."  
“The nature there is beautiful," Jack reminisced, “pictures don’t do it justice."  
“I bet. What brought you here then?”  
“School. I’ve actually just finished my law degree," Jack cut into a fluffy, syrup covered pancake.  
“Congratulations!”  
“I didn’t know that," Alex sounded upset, “when did that happen?”  
“Actually, I got the letter two days ago. I thought after everything happened that it wasn’t worth bringing it up."  
“Well, I’m happy for you," the smile didn’t reach his eyes, “I guess that means you’ll be moving on then. Finding a new place?”  
“Don’t be so quick to kick me out," she laughed, “I was thinking that we could be roommates rather than child and childminder. You’ll be eighteen in a few months now so it's up to you. It’s not like I ever planned on rushing off as soon as I got my degree."  
“Really?”  
“Really,” her lips curved into a loving smile. Alex’s eyes grew moist and he hugged his friend.  
“Thanks," he said.  
Chloe was touched by their closeness. At least the newbie had a friend he could go home to at the end of all of this. He deserved that. The agent cleared their plates and filled the dishwasher while the other two chatted, swapping stories about Ian. Chloe excused herself to allow them time to share their grief and their memories. Alex joined her after a while as the girl was fifty pages into a novel from the boy’s bookshelf.  
“I’ve told Jack that we’re having a movie day," he said, shutting the door behind him.  
“Oh, fun. What movie?”  
“It’s about two people that have to take up false identities and infiltrate a school. It’s called This Is A Really Bad Idea And We’re Both Going To Die."  
“Come on, Alex. This is a recon mission. And you’ve got me, you’ll be fine."  
“And who are you?” he demanded, “no one has told me anything about you."  
Chloe put down the book, “what do you want to know?”  
“Are you even allowed to tell me anything?”  
“Not really," she admitted.  
“Why?”  
“Think about it. In the event that we are captured and tortured, wouldn’t you rather not have any information to give them?”  
“Didn’t you just say that this was supposed to be a safe mission?”  
“No mission is ever safe, newbie. And it’s better to be prepared for the worst than hope for the best."  
“You know about my life," he argued, “that’s hardly fair."  
“I’ve been trained to withstand interrogation. You have not. Unless your uncle snuck that in as well as archery."  
“At least tell me why a seventeen-year-old girl has had years of covert operations training with a secret organisation."  
“If the mission is a success, then I’ll tell you. Though there’s not much to tell."  
“Whatever," he threw up his hands in defeat, “let’s just get started."

Alex easily digested the story Chloe fed him. Ages, birthday, middle names of Great Grandmothers and scores to tests he’d never taken only took a few tries for the boy to remember. She had to be impressed, and a little jealous of his ability to retain raw data like that. They had put on the director’s cut of the Lord Of The Rings as they wrote flash cards. Chloe made notes of the questions he got right and wrong.  
“This Fiona," he began, pausing as he couldn’t stile a yawn, “how do we know she’ll play along? From what you’ve said, she’s the one who needs to go to a school for troubled teens."  
“And why’s that?” the agent prompted him to regurgitate the information.  
“She was arrested on drug charges in 2018. Daddy managed to keep it hush hush though. She also has an on again off again boyfriend called…” he paused, “Rafe. He’s had multiple run-ins with the police. Anyway, she doesn’t sound like the reliable type."  
“She’s away with said boyfriend the weekend we’re at the Friend estate. She won’t be a problem."  
“Good. Can we stop now? We’ve been over these questions ten times or more."  
“And we’ll go over it ten times again tomorrow," she insisted, “oh, but I do have a treat for you in the morning."  
“Yeah? What’s that?” Alex wasn’t excited.  
“New clothes and a haircut. We’ve not only got to act like stuck up rich kids, we’ve got to look like it too.”

Chloe was eager to get out of bed again the next day. She went for another run and showered before the newbie’s eyes even fluttered open. He groaned in protest when she nudged his bare shoulder.  
“Up. We have an appointment at nine."  
The agent showed Alex’s hairdresser a picture on her phone. He nodded and got to work. Chloe held up the credit card Jones had given her for their new wardrobe.  
“I’ll be back in an hour. Don’t worry, I have excellent fashion sense."  
The girl wandered around various clothing stores. For her persona, Chloe decided to go for the opposite of anything she had worn before. Big black boots, ripped tights and black t-shirts that said things like antisocial was how Chloe Friend would dress. To contrast, Alex would be the stereotypical rich boy. Designer everything. Long coats and skinny jeans, accented with bulky rings and white shirts that cost upwards of £50. To finish everything off, Chloe bought the ear piercing kit. MI6 had staunchly refused to let her while she was still a minor. Too impractical, they said. It was an odd turn of events that they were now the ones making her do it. Well, Chloe Friend would obviously have pierced ears, so Chloe Hartford had to too. She wondered what Smithers had up his sleeve that would involve earrings. There was a childish part of her that was excited to find out. The last things she bought were swimsuits for them both. The Friend mansion had a pool. 

By the time she realised she had lost track of time at the shopping centre, Alex had already been waiting for half an hour in a nearby cafe.  
“Sorry," she said, arms full of bags, “got a bit carried away."  
The girl didn’t even mind the awkward silence in the taxi ride home, excited to try on her new clothes. She wondered if she’d be allowed to keep them after the mission was over. 

“Love the new hair," Jack gasped at Alex, “very chic. And new clothes too? Show me when you try them on."  
The two went upstairs. Chloe hurried Alex into the bathroom with his haul. She sat on the bed, bouncing her knee in anticipation to see her handiwork. When he pushed open the door, Chloe knew she had done a good job. Alex’s hair, that had been unruly and dull, was now shiny and perfectly styled over the left side of his forehead. Just the right combination of messy and uniform. The coat she had bought from him reached down to his shins, making him somehow look even taller. He was wearing a white shirt and black skinny jeans underneath. On three of his fingers were the rings she’d purchased. Big, shiny and expensive. Alex Friend was the type of guy to wear his money on his sleeve. Chloe clapped her hands together in delight as Alex put on the thick sunglasses.  
“Perfect. You look like you eat caviar for breakfast while throwing £100 notes into the pool... My work is done."  
Alex laughed.  
“Go on, show me what you picked for yourself, then."  
“Show Jack first, she wanted to see the new look. I’ll go change."

The agent slipped on the artfully ripped tights, black skirt and t-shirt. She tied her blonde hair up in plaits with a silky black ribbon. It was lucky they both had similar hair colours since Chloe would have hated dying it. The look could only be complete with nail polish and lipstick of a similarly dark colour, but there was no point in doing that now.  
“What do you think?” she asked when the boy returned. The girl hadn’t expected to feel self-conscious, nonetheless, her face burned under his eyes.  
“You look like you put gum in peoples’ hair for fun. I think you nailed it. Could use some lipstick though."  
“I think so too," she agreed, peering into the mirror. Alex appeared behind her reflection. He turned one way, then the other, examining his clothes.  
“Have you done this kind of thing before?”  
“What kind of thing?”  
“Pretending to be someone else."  
“This is my first mission, so in a professional sense, no. But this stuff is all a part of training."  
“They teach you how to match lipstick with your outfit at MI6?”  
She laughed, “kind of. They teach you how to put yourself in the place of your persona. Chloe Hartford wouldn’t match black lipstick with any outfit. But Chloe Friend would."  
“That sounds… like it could get complicated."  
“It can, but you’ll be fine. I have to admit, you’ve impressed me so far."  
Alex couldn’t hide his surprise.  
“Really? What have I done that’s so impressive?”  
“Think about it, how many people can you think of that can go through what you have, learn what you have, and take it all in stride?”  
“I haven’t really had a choice," he countered,  
“Yes, you have. You could have started screaming and crying, refusing to go along with anything. You could have ignored Blunt’s threats. You could run away," Chloe looked at him with an appraising eye, “whatever you have in you that is keeping you grounded, that’s something that a lot of people don’t have. Even some agents."  
“I just want this to be over with. I just want to finish this and have everything go back to normal. This is the only way for that to happen."  
“And that’s it?”  
“That’s it."

They spent another few hours going back over Alex’s cover, but he already had it down the day before. The two found themselves with not much else to do than kill the time. In the early evening, they went to see a movie. A horror. Chloe’s favourite genre and as it turned out, Alex’s too. It was only just beginning to get dark when she saw it. A white van, the kind you see everywhere, which is why she had initially ignored it. Except this one had been following them since they left the car park. She pulled out her phone and sent a text. Hopefully, HQ would get the message in time to help. The GPS tracker should give them their exact location at all times. All the agent could do was keep walking. When she crossed over to the wrong street, arm firmly linked through the Newbie’s, he said nothing. Interpreting the grim look on her face to mean that something was up.  
“Did you like the movie?” he asked. He was trying to keep calm, “I thought it was terrifying. Though I had no idea what was going on for most of it."  
“You didn’t get it? I thought it was obvious that they were being stalked by the creature the whole time."  
Even in the dark, Chloe saw Alex’s face grow stern. He had got the message.  
“The ending was good, I thought," she added, “the government coming to save them at the end was such a good twist."  
“Yeah, but for a moment it didn’t look like they’d make it…” Alex looked off into the darkness of the street. It was hard to resist looking behind them where she knew she’d see the creeping shape of the vehicle following every turn they made. She was just buying time, getting farther away from anywhere she recognised with every step. After fifteen minutes, it was clear no one was coming. There was nothing left to do but take matters into her own hands. She tapped his arm.  
“Hey, remember that part in the movie where they had to run away really fast and not die?”  
“Yeah?” his eyes were wide in fear.  
“Let’s do that now. They’re not coming."  
In a split second, they were off. The sound of an engine revving to life could be heard only meters behind. Chloe let Alex lead since he knew the area. He pulled her down street after street at full pelt, never shaking off the full-beam headlights trained on the backs.  
“Don’t you know any shortcuts?” she huffed, “we have to lose them."  
“I know that!” he snapped, “there aren’t any bloody shortcuts!”  
The agent swore. There was no way she was going to fail her first mission before it even got started.  
“Go hide. I’m going to confront them."  
“Don’t be stupid, we have no idea what they’re capable of. What if they have guns?”  
But Chloe had already let go of Alex and was running straight at the tailing vehicle. When it skidded to a halt, she used her momentum to jump on the bonnet. Then, with as much force as she could manage, she kicked in the windshield on the driver's side. The sound of glass shattering felt wrong in the still night air. Her boot connected with a skull. Hopefully, the blow knocked him out. Someone in dark clothing and a balaclava got out of the passengers’ side. Chloe was about to jump on him when Alex tackled him to the ground. The masked man grunted as the air was knocked out of him. The newbie struggled to hold the man as he writhed and kicked. He had him in a judo hold. Chloe hopped down from the car and tied the driver’s hands to the steering wheel with a length of cord that was probably meant for them. When she was done, she knelt beside the trapped man.  
“Who are you?” she demanded to know, “why were you following us?”  
The man said nothing.  
“Tell me or I break your leg," she bluffed, standing and pressing her foot down against the side of his knee. The stalker maintained his silence  
“Fuck!” she cursed, taking her foot off his leg. The agent didn’t know what to do. There were surely a few neighbourhood residents awake and wondering what all the noise was. They had to leave, but if she let them go, they would just find her again. Alex was losing strength fast. The older man was stronger than him and would soon break from his grip. Chloe called the direct number for Jones. She picked up immediately.  
“What’s going on?” the woman demanded.  
“We were followed. We have two men apprehended but we need help, there’s probably witnesses and-”  
A piece of thick white cloth was pressed against her mouth and nose. The smell of disinfectant was overbearing. Chloe held her breath. The phone was forgotten, shattering as it hit the pavement. The agent tried to dig her captor in the stomach but he caught her arm and twisted it painfully. As she cried out, she was forced to inhale more of the chemical soaked into the cloth. Alex heard her cry and rushed to her aid, but she was already losing consciousness. The last thing she saw before she collapsed was three men restraining the boy as he fought to reach her.


	3. Chapter 3

The bag was ripped from her head. The bright white light stung her eyes and she was momentarily blinded. There was a throbbing pulse in her temples like the beat of a drum, no doubt as a result of the sedative. As the room came into focus, she saw an enormous bear of a man sitting opposite her. Thick curly hair covered his broad forehead and his mouth was hidden under an impressive beard. The room was windowless. The only furniture were two chairs and the table between them. The exit stood behind the man’s massive bulk. The girl noticed a tightness at her wrists, restrained with handcuffs at her back. She felt a presence behind her and looked back where there were two women. One tall with high cheekbones and a cold stare, the other with broad shoulders and coffee colour skin.  
“What? What’s going on?” Chloe whimpered, “who are you?”  
“Cut the shit," the man’s voice was like a growl, “we know who you are so you can drop the innocent act. We’ve got your little boyfriend in the other room. We know who he is too. Answer my questions and I’ll see to it that he isn’t hurt."  
“Please," she sobbed, “I don’t know what’s going on. Where’s Alex? Is he okay?”  
The man slammed his fist onto the table. Chloe flinched.  
“What is Point Blanc?” he said dangerously.  
“I don’t know what that is, please-”  
“What is Point Blanc?" he repeated, “don’t make me ask again."  
“It’s… it’s when you shoot someone at close range," she said. The man’s massive paw-like hand crashed into her cheek. The blow was so heavy it nearly knocked her out of the chair. Her left ear rang and she’d bitten her tongue. Blood seeped into her mouth from the fresh cut. The agent spat it out.  
“Maybe a little music will help you remember."  
The two women each gripped an arm and led her out of the tiny room. Chloe made note of her surroundings. They had exited into a hallway with three other doors and no windows. They pushed her through the one at the end of the hall. A solitary metal chair sat in what looked like an empty warehouse. The girl was restrained once again and left by the two women. The chair was bolted to the floor and didn’t move an inch. There was no escape. A full ten minutes passed before anything happened. Then there was a sound like a gunshot and Chloe thought she was being shot at. Then a man started screaming lyrics to the music of a heavy guitar and furious drum track and she realised what they were doing. The sound was deafening. She could barely think. Chloe remembered her training, keeping her breathing under control while clearing her mind. Slowly but surely as her heartbeat slowed, the harsh music became more tolerable. She noticed another sound. At first, she thought it was a backing vocalist on the track, but the singing was so out of time and pitch with the music that it couldn’t be. It was Alex. He had to be in the next room listening to the same awful screaming. The wall separating them couldn’t be that thick because she was beginning to be able to make out the words. Chloe couldn't help but laugh. _I’ve seen it all_ he sang _I swear to God I’ve seen it all_... Once again, the agent was impressed. She knew the song and joined him for the chorus. There was a camera in the corner of the room above the only door. She stared into it as she shouted the words, somehow she knew that Alex was doing the same.

When they came in to take her away again, Chloe couldn’t help but feel relieved. Her headache had worsened. She hadn’t drunk anything since before the movie and had no idea how long they had been held captive. It had to be hours. Her voice was hoarse and the skin pressed against the metal cuffs was beginning to rub raw. Soon, she was back in the interrogation room being stared down by the two women, only this time, the wall behind her seat had become a window. It must have been one-way glass the whole time. Through the glass was a room identical to hers, only in her chair was Alex. Across from him was the Bear. Chloe’s heart sank when she saw the blood covering the left side of the boy’s face, then she felt furious.  
“What did you do to him?” she shouted at her two silent watchers, “answer me!”  
They didn’t say a word. Though she couldn’t hear him, it was clear the man was shouting. He beat his fist against the table and paced the room. At one point, he grabbed Alex’s collar so they were nose to nose. Alex said something, which caused the man to throw him back into the chair. The boy was shown documents that Chloe was too far away to see, then Alex spoke again. She could see the tears welling in his eyes. The man pushed the paper over to Alex, who clutched it in both hands as he studied the pages. Chloe saw what looked like a picture of Jack on one. He asked him what Point Blanc was, she could read his lips. Alex scowled and threw the papers back at his captor. Chloe cheered him on.

The man gave a signal and she and Alex were dragged back to the warehouse room. For some reason, she felt invigorated. When the music was blasted through the speakers, Chloe belted her favourite song in response. If not for the fear of death, uncomfortable seat and handcuffs, it might have been fun. That’s when they dropped the water on her. The agent liked to take cold showers, but this was a different kind of cold. Like arctic waters cold. The air was sucked out of her as she entered the cold shock response, gasping for breath that she couldn’t seem to take. After ten minutes, another tidal wave of icy water was dropped onto her. Mascara ran down her face, her legs were bright pink through her tights and she couldn’t stop shivering. Chloe wasn’t sure how much more she could take. The cold sapped her strength like nothing else. She’d pass out from exhaustion before they ever got any information from her.  
She couldn’t even sing, she couldn’t get enough air for that. It was if her lungs had shrunk. All she could do was control her breathing and hope that the next time she was interrogated, she could find a way to escape. She felt a presence at her back and tried to twist around to see whatever it was, but with her hands cuffed, it was impossible. Hasty footfalls crept up to her back and a pair of hands undid her cuffs. The girl tried to stand quickly but almost fainted. Alex caught her arm before she fell.  
“Let’s get out of here," he whispered.  
Chloe could have kissed him. He led her through a vent that connected their separate warehouse rooms. His looked identical to hers. The only difference was a window at the back that framed the dark night beyond. Alex broke the glass with his elbow and laid his jacket over the shards on the ledge. He helped her through first, following swiftly. The cold winter night air hit Chloe’s wet skin. She hadn’t stopped shivering since the first round of water. All around them was darkness. The only choice was to pick a direction and run. Chloe could barely keep up, though she didn’t let Alex notice. They sprinted in what they thought was a straight line, but the road they came to looked the same as the one before. She heard the rumble of an engine in the distance. Before she could grab the newbie and pull him into the cover of a ditch, the boy was in the middle of the road, waving his arms.  
“Idiot, get out of sight. They could be one of them!”  
But Alex didn’t look worried. The black car came to a gentle stop and a man climbed out. It was MI6’S head of engineering; Smithers. And suddenly everything fell into place. Smithers pulled out a gun but Alex laughed right down the barrel. Five figures dressed in black and armed with guns surrounded the scene. It was the giant man, the two women and another two that Chloe hadn’t yet seen. Another car screeched around the bend. A furious looking Ms Jones emerged from the driver’s side.  
“So? Did I pass?” He asked, his voice a coiled spring of frustration and anger.  
“What the hell is going on here?” Jones shouted, looking at Chloe for answers. For the second time that day, the girl collapsed. Jones ran to her side.  
“Is someone going to tell me why one of my agents is covered in blood and the other on the floor?”  
Chloe had never seen her so angry, “on whose authority-”  
“It was Blunt," the huge man said, “we were under the impression that you knew about this."  
“Well, clearly it was decided that I should be kept in the dark. Alex, help me get her to the car. Bear, we will discuss this later."  
“So we’re using kids now are we?” he spat on the floor.  
“Just put it in your report."  
Alex carried her to Jones’s car, carefully sliding her into the spotless leather seats that were about to get soaking wet. The woman drove them home in silence. Chloe drifted in and out of sleep, her head against the newbie’s shoulder. Soon he was fast asleep as well. They woke up as the car pulled up to the unassuming entrance to MI6. Chloe was given water, food and fresh clothes as well as a warm shower. Oddly enough, the clothes were of a kind that a girl might go clubbing in. She staggered into the office on the heels they had given her. She felt ridiculous amongst the stuffy suits that littered the office. Jones handed her agent a bottle of whisky in the meeting room.  
“You’ve got the drunk walk covered," Jones said, “now take a sip of this and dab some on your clothes. We sent Jack a message from Alex’s number that you were going to a party. It’s the only way we could think of to explain why you both look so beaten up."  
“Alex has a cut on his forehead," Chloe remembered, taking a seat to take the weight off the heels.  
“It was under his hairline actually, you can’t see it."  
“Where is he?” she asked and at the moment, he entered wearing fresh jeans and a plain white T. He looked a lot better than she felt. Though she knew it would annoy Jones, she took a large gulp of the whisky, needing to feel the warmth. She stuck her tongue out  
“Jones wants us to act drunk for Jack," she handed him the bottle, “we’ve been to a party and got wasted apparently."  
The boy took the bottle but didn’t drink.  
“Are you going to explain what all of that was about?” he said to Jones.  
“I’ll answer that." Blunt shut the door behind him. The hum of the office was blocked as it sealed shut, “It was decided that your abilities had to be tested, Alex. We also wanted to see how you and agent Hartford worked together in a team. I apologise for their roughness, but our enemies are never gentle."  
“It was decided? You mean you decided. Jones says she had no idea about this."  
“And you believe her," Chloe mumbled.  
“It’s the truth. I never even wanted to use kids as agents in the first place."  
“Don’t act all high and mighty now," Chloe snapped, “if that was true this operation would have never reached the concept phase."  
“Jones did not know about the operation," Blunt confirmed, “this was on my authority and I take responsibility for it."  
“Which means exactly jack-shit to me, arsehole," Alex spat, “I already agreed to do this mission. If I messed up this test of yours, would you even have put a stop to this all?”  
“But you passed, exceptionally well I might add. Your teamwork is also at a good standard. The men that tried to take you into the van are feeling very sore right now from their hospital beds.”  
Chloe took grim pleasure from that, but Alex’s frustration wasn’t abated. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and drank it in one.  
“Just take us home."

Jones delivered them right on the doorstep from the back of a car that looked like a yellow taxi. Chloe wondered if this was what coming home from a party actually felt like. Dropped off by a cabbie that can’t wait to be rid of you, stinking of booze and suffering from a serious adrenaline crash. Alex slipped the key in the lock as quietly as he could. He half expected Jack to be right on the other side, arms folded and eyebrows raised like when he stayed out too late as a kid. They staggered inside. Chloe regretted drinking the whisky so enthusiastically, she wasn’t used to it and felt fuzzy and slow. Jack was watching T.V in the living room. It was only 2 am, not an unreasonable time to return from a night out. The two teenagers waved at her before all but crawling up the stairs when they were out of sight. At the top, they couldn’t help but laugh. It was all too ridiculous.  
“Come on," he said, pulling her up after him. The looseness of his smile and the slur in his voice told Chloe he couldn’t handle his drink either, “bedtime for little bears."  
That sent them into another fit of giggles. She jumped onto his bed and he jumped after her.  
“That’s my bed, you can’t sleep here," he protested.  
“There’s something I have to tell you, Alex," she told him in drunken seriousness and stared directly into his eyes, “I’m a secret agent."  
“No way," he gasped.  
“Yeah. I work for MI6 and everything."  
“I’m Alex Friend and I’m a billionaire," he laughed, “I play polo and set things on fire because I’m so damaged."  
“I bet you have played polo though."  
“Never," he shook his head, “never ever."  
They talked about nonsense for a while. The nightmare of only a few hours before somehow forgotten for the moment. Eventually, Chloe could no longer keep her eyes open and drifted off as Alex was in the middle of a speech. He stopped when he heard her soft breathing.  
“For an agent, you’re not very cautious are you?”  
He pulled the duvet over her sleeping frame and settled down himself in the empty blowup mattress.


	4. Chapter 4

For the first time since she could remember, Chloe slept through 6 am. Then 7 am, 8 am, 9. She was finally startled awake by the ring of the new phone Jones had given her.  
“Good morning," came the woman’s voice, “I’d love to let you sleep in, but we’re on a schedule as you know. A car will be there to pick you up in an hour. Be ready."  
The line went dead. Chloe hadn’t said a word. Her mouth was dry and her head felt like it had been spun in a microwave.  
“Alex, we’ve got to get up," the girl coughed and ran a hand through her hair. She was surprised and amused to find that they had ended up in the wrong beds, “come on, up."  
Alex groaned into the pillow but pushed himself stiffly to his feet.  
“Everything hurts," he complained, “my head…”  
“How’s the cut?”  
He peered at himself in the mirror.  
“Sore, but at least you can’t see it."  
His pyjamas hung loosely from his hips. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Chloe averted her eyes.  
“Jones is picking us up in an hour. Can I shower first?”  
Alex shrugged and picked up a hairbrush. After showing, she remembered the ear-piercing kit and tried to do it herself, but it proved too difficult. When Alex himself had showered she asked him for a hand. The boy hesitantly brought the needle to her earlobe.  
“You sure this isn’t going to hurt?”  
“I have no idea if it will hurt, I’ve never had a piercing before, hence doing it now,” she grit her teeth, “just do it."  
Alex lined the needle up with the dot she’d drawn on the middle on the lobe and squeezed the two sides of the tool together. There was a sound like someone flipping a light switch and it was done.  
“Wow, that didn’t hurt at all. Other side please."  
Once again there was no pain.  
“Your turn."  
Alex grimaced but did not protest. He flinched each time the needle went in. Chloe fastened the back of the stud to the front.  
“Don’t suppose you’d paint my nails for me too." She joked, though in truth she wasn’t very good at it.  
“No thanks, let’s just pack. They’ll be here in half an hour."  
There wasn’t much they needed to bring. Point Blanc provided uniforms so the only clothes they needed were a few days worth of outfits. Chloe handed him the swimming trunks.  
“Really?”  
“Just in case."  
Jack was sad to see them both go, pulling them into a warm hug that smelt of cinnamon. It felt awful lying to her, but this was something they’d both have to get used to.  
“Go," she pushed them to the door with their suitcases, “go have fun."  
Jones was back in the driver’s seat of the fake taxi. They loaded their luggage into the boot and got settled in the back seats.  
“How do you both feel today?” the woman asked when they reached the motorway.  
“Tired but okay," Chloe said, “this kind of shit can’t happen again, Jones. You can’t take for granted what little trust there is in this organisation. Everyone involved in that operation is now going to think twice whenever they’re assigned by Blunt."  
“I agree. As I said, I was against using the both of you in the first place."  
“Who were our kidnappers?” the agents asked. She didn’t recognise a single one of their faces.  
“A new team. Wolf, he was the big guy, the leader. Then there’s Fox, Eagle and Snake. Highly skilled, but apparently just as uncomfortable using children as I am."  
“What do you mean?” said Alex.  
“They were just about to put an end to the test before you escaped."  
“My heroes," Chloe scoffed, “too little too late. That giant prick cracked me in the head so hard I actually saw stars."  
“I watched the footage last night," Jones eyed Alex in the mirror, ignoring her agent, “I couldn’t see how you got out of the handcuffs."  
The girl had been wondering that herself.  
“The big guy gave me some documents. There was a paper clip holding everything together. I took it when I threw them back in his face."  
“Clever," Jones said with a slight quirk of her mouth.  
“I saw him hit you through the one-way glass." Alex said to the girl, “I couldn’t believe it, I’ve never seen someone hit a girl like that. You looked so terrified."  
She hated the pity in his eyes.  
“I was acting, genius. It didn’t hurt that bad…” she tongued the cut in her mouth and stared out the window. She had been acting, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t scared, “don’t start thinking I’m some delicate flower.”  
“I didn’t mean it like that."  
He tried to justify himself, but Chloe had tuned him out. She’d have liked to see how he took that hit. Jones quizzed them a final time on their covers, a game they were both thoroughly tired of. Alex could have written an essay on the misadventure of Alex Friend when they finally reached the Friend estate. The drive to the front door alone took ten minutes from the gates. All around them was lush greenery and forest that stretched for miles. In the middle of it all was the mansion, an unbelievably huge building with white marble stairs leading to the enormous double doors. Wisteria clung to its face like a big leafy beard. A man and a woman emerged from its mouth as Chloe and the newbie retrieved their luggage. Jones’ heels clicked noisily on the marble. She shook each of their hands.  
“I’m Jones, we spoke on the phone. I’m an associate of Blunt."  
“A pleasure. This is my wife, Caroline." Sir David said.  
He was a stuffy looking man with grey hair. His wife was tall and graceful with wispy blonde curls. Caroline barely registered that her hand was taken and shook. Chloe and Alex presented themselves before the couple. The man grimaced as he absorbed their appearances.  
“You must be… my children," the very words seemed to disgust him, “a pleasure."  
“Mr Blunt wishes to extend his thanks for your help. He says to consider all debts paid."  
“Well, there’s something," the man said, leading his wife by the arm back inside the home. He left her to recline in a loveseat while he took the others on a tour. The first destination was something he called the drawing-room, but Chloe thought it was just a really big lounge.  
“This is where we’ll have the meeting with the Dean," he explained.  
The next destination was an expensive-looking study. The furniture was all polished mahogany and plush cushions. The billionaire went over to a bookshelf and pressed a button hidden behind an old tome. The bookcase slid away to reveal a hidden room. It was empty besides a desk and a few chairs.  
“You can set up here Ms Jones," David said gesturing to the empty space, “I took the liberty of having it cleared for you."  
“My thanks," she said, “I’ll begin at once."  
The women hurried off to talk to four black vans that Chloe could see waiting through the windows.  
“What was in here before it was cleared out?” Chloe probed.  
“None of your concern. Follow me."  
He showed them the rest of the house and all of its needlessly extravagant rooms.  
“This is my daughter Fiona’s room," he explained as they stopped outside the white door, “Chloe is the opposite. Alex, you’re the door next to that."  
David excused himself, leaving them to explore on their own. They looked in her room first. It was the size of Alex’ entire first floor with an ensuite the size of his bedroom. The bed was spotless white, as were the walls and carpet. A tall white orchid sat on the sill of the two-meter long window. The ceilings felt miles away, everything was so white it was hard to tell where it stopped.  
“Jesus," Chloe said, “I guess this is what fraud money can buy."  
“How do you know he’s committed fraud?”  
“Why do you think he’s helping us? Certainly not out of the goodness of his heart, if there is any."  
“So the authorities are turning a blind eye in exchange? That’s messed up."  
“Pretty much."  
They took a look at Alex’s new room, but it was pretty much identical apart from the pink orchid in the window. Chloe wasn’t sure what they were supposed to do to pass the time, Jones seemed extremely busy coordinating men carrying PCs and cameras into the drawing-room and the Friends weren’t eager to chat. They spent the afternoon exploring the other 1st floor rooms, discovering the library and its balcony that let you look out over the forest. The sun was orange and pink as it set over the horizon. Chloe watched for a while. Alex picked out a book and settled into an armchair. “I’m bored," she protested, “wanna play hide and seek?”  
“Not since I was ten," he didn’t look up from the page.  
“We should at least look around a bit more, we’ve got to memorise the layout of this house."  
“Fine," he said, replacing the book where he found it.  
The second floor contained another two bedrooms and bathrooms. There was also a cluttered storage room that felt out of place amongst all the white and order. They walked past each room, naming it as they went, then did the same on the first floor and ground floor. The pool was down some stairs behind an inconspicuous door in the entrance hallway. Chloe could smell the chlorine even before she saw it. The pool heaters made the water steam, which was illuminated by lights built into the side of the tile. There was also a smaller pool that must have been a hot tub. Chloe was excited to take a dip. She was about to run upstairs for her swimsuit when a neatly dressed woman in a maid uniform announced that dinner was ready.

The agent had never experienced such an awkward dinner in her life. Caroline never said a word, only sipped wine from a crystal glass. No one could find anything to say to each other. After all, they were strangers thrown together by circumstance. A butler brought in a cart of various dishes and laid them out in front of her. Lying on a white plate, garnished with only a sprig of rosemary was a small roast bird.  
“Quail, shot it myself." David said proudly, “watch out for the buckshot."  
Chloe felt her dislike for the name grow even stronger. She wasn’t a huge fan of hunting. The servers brought out each new course as they finished. The agent was beginning to feel slightly sick, she wasn’t used to eating so richly.  
“So, what’s for pud?” Alex said as the butler took away his bowl. Clearly, he was enjoying the five-star treatment, but Chloe snorted a laugh.  
“Rich boys don’t say ‘pud’, Alex."  
“Indeed, they don’t," David said, “I do have to wonder what Blunt is thinking with all this. Using children seems a terribly bad idea."  
“How about we all keep our business to ourselves?” Chloe narrowed her eyes at him, “you’re hardly in a place to argue for moral superiority."  
David pursed his lips, “you know nothing. How dare you speak to me like that. Am I not supposed to be your father? Show some respect."  
“Sorry, _daddy_ ," Chloe’s voice dripped with malice, “but I’m not the type of person to listen to my parents. That’s why I’m going to a reform school after all."  
“Just keep your comments to yourself," he huffed, “now, off with you, I don’t want to see you until breakfast."  
“Sounds good to me."

Chloe went to her room to change into her bikini, slipping a robe over the top. There was no way she wasn’t going to take advantage of that amazing pool while she was here. Alex wasn’t up for it, he’d eaten too much and wanted to lie down. In the pool room, the girl dropped the robe onto a lounger.  
“Hi there," said a female voice.  
Chloe nearly jumped out her skin, A beautiful girl with long honey blonde hair was leaning against the side of the pool. Her skin was perfectly tanned, her eyes bright blue. She was wearing a pink swimsuit with a v-neck that reached all the way to her sternum, showing off round breasts as well as her figure.  
“Hi…” Chloe felt a little inadequate in her bikini.  
“You must be my new sister. So good of my father to tell me about all of this." Her voice was gentle but poisoned with barely hidden disdain.  
“You must be Fiona. I thought you were away for the weekend."  
“Yes, that would have been so very convenient for everyone wouldn’t it?”  
“Well, that was the plan. How come you’re back?”  
Fiona scoffed, “my boyfriend is an arse, so I left him. Does that clear it up for you?”  
“You mind if I join you?”  
The older girl raised an eyebrow but nodded. She had hoped to scare the stranger off but clearly, it hadn’t worked. The agent slid into the water opposite her. Gentle bubbles pulsed at her back, the temperature was perfect. The pool room had an atmosphere of romance. Lit only with the pool lights and dim orange bulbs on the ceiling. It felt cosy and intimate. Fiona was playing classical music through the speakers. There was also a half-empty bottle of wine in ice and a glass balanced on a float.  
“May I?” again, the older girl nodded, intrigued by this strange person who didn’t seem intimidated by her at all. Chloe took a sip of the wine. She didn’t know what expensive wine tasted like, but this was probably it, “Rafe isn’t it? What’s he done?”  
“Nothing in particular," Fiona said cautiously, “he can just be such a cock sometimes. You know how boys can be."  
“Sure," she said.  
“So you’re a spy or something?” Fiona asked. It had been bugging her ever since her father had explained what was going on, “what does this have to do with us?”  
“You’re our cover. Mine and Alex’s. When the Dean comes to see us tomorrow, we have to convince her that we are the children of Caroline and David or we’ll never get in."  
“Why are you telling me this? Shouldn’t this all be top secret?”  
“Why? You gonna tell?”  
Fiona’s pink lips curved into a smile, “absolutely not. This is the most interesting thing that’s happened to me in years."

Alex woke up from his nap feeling newly refreshed. It was getting late, so he thought he’d talk to Chloe one more time about the game plan for the next day. He knocked on her door once, twice, but there was no answer. He guessed she was still in the pool. It had been an hour and a half since he fell asleep- maybe she just really liked swimming? Returning to his room, he put his trunks on under his clothes and went to meet her. Maybe a swim would help him calm his nerves. He was more nervous about his interview than any dangerous sport he’d ever taken part in.  
The newbie descended the stairs to the pool room. As he did, he heard two female voices in deep conversation. One was Chloe’s, the other he didn’t recognise. Two blonde girls were leaning against the sides of the hot tub sipping wine. When Chloe saw him, her face broke into a wide smile.  
“Alex," she mewed. Her skin glistened in the low light as she rested her arms on the side of the pool, “this is Fiona."  
The girl in the pink swimsuit was gorgeous, looking at him through her eyelashes.  
“We were just talking about you," Fiona said. Chloe pushed her arm.  
“Shush!” she warned.  
“What’s going on?” Alex said, a little stunned from the two girls gazing up at him, “have you been drinking?”  
“Oh come on," Chloe splashed him, “I’ve had one glass. I’m not drunk."  
“Still, we should go to bed. Tomorrow is an important day." He would ask about Fiona later.  
“Come join us," Fiona beckoned, “Chloe’s told me all about you, but she didn’t say how cute you were."  
“Stop that," Chloe protested, “don’t tease him."  
“He seems like a boy that likes to be teased,"  
“Let’s go, Chloe," Alex helped her out of the pool.  
“Sorry, Fi, I really should be getting to bed." The agent apologised as she took the towel the newbie handed to her.  
“Whatever," the girl said. Suddenly all the laughter in her expression had disappeared and something cold replaced it, “you were beginning to bore me anyway."  
She swam off.  
“Well, goodnight," Chloe said, confused at the abrupt change of heart.

“What was all that about?” Alex shut the door to his room.  
“Fiona’s back. She broke up with her boyfriend so the trip was cut short. Don’t worry. Everything is still going to plan. The dean shouldn’t even meet her, besides, she promised she’d maintain our cover."  
“Why does that not reassure me? That girl was strange. She looked like she wanted to eat me."  
“That’s because she did," Alex blanched.  
“What were two talking about for so long anyway?”  
“Girl things. Boys, make-up, you know."  
“Fine, don’t tell me."  
“I just listened to her complain about her boyfriend for an hour, relax."  
Alex leant against the door and sighed. Chloe realised she’d been insensitive again. She had been around this her whole life, but for Alex everything was new, everything was frightening. Of course he was on edge.  
“I’m sorry. Everything is okay, I promise. You can talk to Jones if you like. The plan is still the same. The dean arrives at 3 pm tomorrow and we get interviewed individually. You’ve memorised everything and you look the part. You’ll be fine."  
“I hope so."

Chloe rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The roar of a powerful engine had woken her. She looked out her window where Fiona, dressed in silk pyjamas, ran into the arms of a boy. She knew it was Rafe instantly. Two other boys got out of the car and hugged Fiona as well before the group went inside. Chloe had already put on a dressing gown when Alex knocked on her door. Together they crept down the marble staircase to the entrance hall, lighting the way with the torches on their phones. At the bottom, she saw the door to the pool room was left ajar and could hear the voices of the group. Fiona was reclining in a lounger, her boyfriend’s head resting in her lap. She twirled a strand of his curly brown hair around her finger.  
“Hi," Alex took the initiative. The four of them swivelled their heads to look at who had interrupted.  
“All right?” Rafe said, looking them both up and down. Fiona sighed.  
“Babe, this is Chloe and Alex. They’re a couple of charity cases daddy’s picked up."  
Rafe was staring at Alex, “what exactly are you wearing?”  
“Clothes," the boy didn’t care for his playground insults.  
“That’s what you think," Fiona scoffed.  
“Don’t be a bitch, darling," Rafe chastised,  
“Shut up darling."  
Chloe realised simultaneously why they had broken up and got together in the first place. They were both needlessly cruel.  
“Say, how about we all go for a walk in the woods tomorrow?” Rafe suggested with a nasty twist to his smile, “could be fun."  
Chloe was about to flatout decline when Alex answered for them both, “let’s do it. Got nothing better to do."  
The agent would rather never speak to any of these people again but the decision had been made.

“Why did you say yes?” Chloe asked, throwing her arms up. Alex sat on his bed.  
“I don’t know. He pissed me off I guess."  
“Great, thanks to your fragile ego we’ve got to put up with those assholes all morning. We actually do have a lot more important things to do than that."  
“If we don’t go, we’ll just be sitting here working ourselves up until the dean arrives. You don’t have to go, but I am."  
“No way. I don’t trust those guys. You’re not going on your own."  
“It’s just a walk. Relax."  
“Blunt made me responsible for you," she said, “I’m not letting you out of my sight."  
The boy opened and closed his mouth. He was all at once thankful that he had someone looking out for him, and frustrated that they thought he needed a minder.  
“Don’t feel responsible. We’ve both been thrown in at the deep end here."  
“How so?”  
“Well, this is your first mission and you’ve been given a civilian to keep out of harm's way. Is that standard procedure?”  
“Don’t sell yourself short," Chloe sat in an armchair and hugged her legs to her chest, “it’s not that I don’t think you’re capable, that little test showed me that, it’s just that if anything happened to you, it would be my fault for not being good enough."  
“You can’t really believe that. If I got hurt it would be my fault, simple as that."  
“If you say so."  
The girl didn’t want to debate him about it. When Blunt had given her the mission, she had been prepared to face anything. But she hadn’t expected the fear of her someone getting hurt because of her to affect her like this. The guilt would be enough to ruin her. It was why she had wanted to do it alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe decided to work out in her room, rather than leave it and have to face whoever was already up. It was still only 7 30 am when she’d finished stretching. It was important to her to keep her fitness up, the familiar routine calmed her nerves. With time to spare before breakfast, she decided to paint her nails black just for a little extra flair to her character. The agent was a little clumsy but managed it nonetheless. At 8 am, a maid knocked on her door to tell her that breakfast was ready. Chloe didn’t put on her Chloe Friend outfit just yet, for now, she donned the clothes gifted to her by David and Caroline. An outfit that made her fit right in with the stuffy English gentry. She put the brown tweed jacket over the beige turtleneck. Her trousers were tight-fitting and grey and covered up to her shin by brown leather boots. As the last touch, she tied her hair in a neat plait across one shoulder. 

She was the last to arrive for breakfast, taking the empty seat next to Alex. There was an awkward lack of conversation as the butler asked what she’d like to drink. Rafe and his friends were also dressed to the nines in clothes that probably cost as much as a small car. The boy smirked at Alex from across the table. For the first time since Chloe had seen her, Caroline spoke up.  
“So, what are you all up to today then?” Chloe wondered how it was possible to talk without moving a single muscle in your face. The women spoke with no emotion at all.  
“We’re thinking of going shooting," Rafe answered. The agent stopped cutting her eggs. Alex’s eyebrows knitted together, “these two are both coming."  
“Shooting?” The newbie said.  
“Shooting. It’ll be fun. Think you can handle my 12 gauge double-trigger shotgun?” Alex had never even heard some of those words before, “it’s a beauty, an antique."  
“Is it yours?” Lady Caroline seemed perturbed,  
“God, no. It’s my father’s."  
“That’s a splendid idea," David Friend smiled at Fiona’s boyfriend, oblivious to his malicious intentions and the danger of letting a bunch of teenagers loose in the woods with shotguns.  
“We’ll meet in an hour, the Old Beech in the Copse? You know the one?” Fiona patted Chloe’s arm, the same cruel look in her eye. Chloe didn’t feel very hungry anymore.

Alex looked at his watch. He was also wearing the outfit gifted to him by the Friends. A wide-collared white check shirt poked out of the top of a black vest and an earthy brown tweed jacket. On his bottom half, he wore beige trousers and tall brown boots. To top everything off was a red silk scarf tucked into the shirt. Chloe couldn’t help but look.  
“What?” he raised an eyebrow at her.  
“Nothing, you just really suit those clothes."  
“I look ridiculous," he said, “where are they? We’ve been waiting for ages."  
They were standing in the clearing at the Copse. Tall green trees rustled around them and dead leaves crunched underfoot. The agent didn’t want to scare Alex, but she could feel in her gut something was wrong. She scanned past hundreds of trunks but there was nothing there, or she just couldn’t see it yet. Then they heard it. A gunshot, shockingly loud in the quiet ambience of the woods. The sound echoed around them. It was impossible to tell from which direction it came. Chloe pulled Alex down and put her back to a tree. She put a finger to her lips as the boy was about to say something. Along with the fear, there was a fierceness in his eyes she’d last seen when they were kidnapped. The girl strained her ears, trying to pick up any sound that might tell her where the shooter was, but there was nothing. Another shot rang out like the crack of lightning, much closer this time. Bark exploded from a tree two feet away. Running was the only option for now. Put as much distance between them as she could. She pulled Alex to his feet and soon they were sprinting as fast as they could through the forest. The gun blasts followed them as they ran. Chloe was heading in the direction of the mansion, but Alex made a sharp and sudden left turn. Determined not to leave him, she set her jaw as she ran as fast as she could to catch back up. All at once he stopped again and signalled for her to hide.  
“Come out Alex!” Rafe called.  
Of course it was him. Chloe picked a suitable tree and climbed. At three meters high and disguised by the dense foliage, they wouldn’t see her. Alex was still on the ground. She watched as the boy lay down, pulling loose branches and bracken over himself. Rafe, Fiona and their friends were getting closer to his position, holding their shotguns in front of them. The newbie had done a good job, if she didn’t know where he was, there was no way of noticing him. The group crept along, calling out insults as they went. Two meters away. One. Then they passed him, at which point Alex sprang to his feet. Chloe jumped out of the tree and rolled along the ground. What the hell was he doing?  
“Hi Rafe," Alex said. The boy turned to find Alex’s fist rapidly approaching his face. The blow connected and Rafe staggered backwards, blood pouring from his nose. The newbie had snatched the gun and was pointing it at the group. Chloe appeared behind her partner but said nothing.  
“What the fuck?” Rafe spat out red flecks, “you fucking hit me! What the fuck?”  
“Put the guns down," Alex ordered, “put them down."  
Reluctantly, they all did so, raising their hands in surrender.  
“We were trying to find you. We were wondering where you went," Fiona was frightened.  
“No, you weren’t”  
“Look just…” Rafe fell over the words, “we weren’t really going to hurt you, we weren’t really aiming for you."  
“Then why do it in the first place? You never shoot a gun unless you mean it," Chloe said, taking a step forward.  
“It was just a joke! A bit of fun, just-”  
“A joke?” Alex was horrified.  
“I had no idea you were this twisted,” Chloe said to the other girl, “seems like you just change yourself to suit others.”  
Fiona Friend pressed her lips together. She no longer looked scared, she was furious.  
“Hey, you really shouldn’t be pointing that at us,” Rafe’s raised hands were trembling slightly, “please, let’s just forget this."  
Alex narrowed his eyes at each one of them. Then he looked at Chloe and a smile tugged at his mouth.  
“You’re right," he said, lowering the gun.  
“Actually," Rafe edged forward, “that gun is worth rather a lot of money. If you wouldn’t mind…” he held out his hand.  
“This gun?” Alex feigned naivete. Fiona’s boyfriend nodded. The boy warped both hands around the barrel and threw it with all of his strength. The gun disappeared into the greenery behind them. It would take forever to find. Alex pulled Chloe forward.  
“Fetch." 

They two of them ran the rest of the way back, breathless from the excitement rather than the effort. When they passed the last tree and were back in the vast green garden of the Friend estate, they both collapsed onto the ground. Chloe laughed out loud in between gasps for air. Alex was grinning sheepishly.  
“I thought you’d be angry with me," he admitted.  
“I might be if that arsehole didn’t so badly need to be hit. God, the look on his face! I bet no one’s ever put him in his place like that."  
“Exactly what I was thinking," Alex helped her to her feet and they began to walk to the back door, “so you're not angry that I put myself in danger?”  
“From where I was sitting, Rafe was the only one in danger,” she said, “though you did scare the shit out of me for a moment."  
“Sorry about that," he smiled, rubbing his knuckles. Chloe took his wrist.  
“Did you hurt your hand?” the knuckle on his middle finger was swelling and turning a painful purple, “looks like you burst a vessel."  
“So worth it."  
“True. Just put it on ice when we get inside. The Dean will be here in a few hours."

Chloe asked the chef for a bag of peas, which she gave to them with a suspicious look. They then met with Jones for a final go over the plan. After the interview, they would immediately be taken away in a helicopter. Jones had a few things to give them.  
“What happened to your hand?” she asked.  
“I punched Rafe in the nose."  
“That wasn’t very clever," she chastised, “but it can’t be helped now."  
“It’s pretty in-character too," Chloe pointed out,  
“Focus," Jones brought the file she was reading from down onto the desk. The two teenagers tried to hide their smiles, “there are a few things I want you to take with you. Chances are they’ll be confiscated, but it’s worth a try."  
The MI6 director of operations opened a drawer in the desk and brought out two MP3s, one red and one black.  
“Bit outdated," Alex said, looking at the chunky piece of technology,  
“That’s the idea. They will undoubtedly take away your phones, but maybe an old music player will slip through security."  
“What does it do?” asked Chloe.  
“Smithers has programmed them to send and receive signals from long-range devices. Just go to the Backstreet Boys and play Boys Will Be Boys. You should be able to type a message. If we’ve sent you one, it’ll show up on the play screen."  
“Who?” Alex asked, scrolling through the MP3s library.  
“I love the Backstreet Boys." Chloe said defensively, “it’s a guilty pleasure."  
“I thought you’d like it," Jones allowed herself a smile. She took out another two small boxes from the desk, “these are earrings. Inside each one is a tiny needle that carries a sedative that can knock out a grown man in a minute. Inject them with two and he’ll be dead within an hour. Smithers made two designs. Choose your favourite, I suppose."  
Chloe took the small silver hoops. Alex took the gold.  
“Careful putting them on, the needle is in the clasp."  
Chloe felt a little safer with some form of defence on her. With luck, neither of them would have to use it.  
“There’s another few details we have learned recently about Point Blanc. Our intel has learned the identities of the students. Some of them are quite interesting.”  
“Who are they?” Alex asked.  
The woman pulled up some photos on her laptop screen.  
“Most interesting is a girl called Kyra Vashenko-Chao. From what we have gathered, she was the person responsible for wiping one billion from the international stock market last year.”  
“So she’s a hacker?” Chloe said.  
“Yes. Her abilities are quite impressive. We also know that a boy called Parker Roscoe attended Point Blanc. He has since graduated and returned to live with his father.”  
“Micheal Roscoe? The owner of that media corporation?”  
“A title which will now be going to Parker after Micheal was found dead. This was one of the factors that drew us to Point Blanc in the first place. The other students are all the children of major industry heads. Media, technology, firearms, transportation. They’re all there.”  
“And we’re food production. Seems like Grief has created a school of elites,” Alex said.  
“That’s right. Remember, this is a recon mission. I want you to learn what you can about what Dr Grief is up to, but I want you out of there at the first sign of trouble.”  
“Are those Blunt’s orders?” Chloe was sceptical.  
“They are my orders," the woman asserted, “what good is intelligence if the person carrying it is dead? Alex is going first. Go change and get ready. I’ll be watching from here." Jones looked at each of them and once again resented having to send two teenagers on this mission, “good luck."

Chloe watched the Dean arrive in a black helicopter that she was piloting herself. David personally greeted her at the door. Alex and she were waiting in the hidden room with Jones, who was checking and double-checking the cameras were all functional. They were in silence as they practised what they were going to say. There was a knock on the door and Alex was asked to meet the women in the drawing-room.  
“Wait," Chloe said before he left. She undid the top button of his shirt and pulled it out of his jeans slightly, “perfect, go."  
“No, don’t,” Jones said. She was watching the screen showing the main entrance of the estate. Fiona was marching up the marble stairs, determination in each step she took, “what the hell is she doing? Chloe,” the woman nodded at the agent.  
Chloe dashed out of the room and ran to the main hall. Fiona Friend was already halfway across it. The Dean was being stalled by David in one of the back rooms. She didn’t have long.  
“Hey, we should talk about what happened,” Chloe said, walking closer, “I think we should put it all behind us and be friends. What do you say.”  
The girl scowled and didn’t stop, “out of the way. I’m putting a stop to this.”  
“No. I am.”  
As they passed each other, Chloe stabbed the earring into Fiona’s neck. The agent covered her mouth before she could cry out. Within thirty seconds, the girl was unconscious. A man, one of Jones’, appeared from nowhere and dragged Fiona away. Chloe almost felt bad.

When she returned to the hidden room, Alex was already in the drawing-room. He was reclined on the sofa, already in character as he spread his arms over the back and propped an ankle on his knee. Jones exchanged a nod of approval with her agent. Chloe’s heart swelled with pride despise her best efforts. The Dean and the Friends entered moments later. She was a tall, graceful woman, wearing a tight leather skirt and sharp black heels. Her hair was cut to a flawless black bob that hardly moved as she walked. Everything about her looked hard and sharp. Caroline and David sat to his left. The Dean held out her hand to Alex, who scoffed.  
“This is Eva Stellenbosch," the man said,  
“Is this some kind of joke?” the newbie scowled, “we’re really going through with this?”  
“A little respect please, Alex," said David. At least the man was playing his part.  
“That’s quite all right. Transitory moments like this can be hard to come to terms with."  
“Let’s get this over with," Alex fiddled with his rings, “I don’t want to be here, they don’t want me to be here, but I don’t need some pathetic military academy to make me see straight."  
Once again, Chloe was impressed with him. His entire demeanour exuded disdain and hate. He was the perfect image of the difficult teen he needed to be.  
“Such hostility," Eva said gently, “your parents think you need the academy."  
“My parents are idiots," David bristled.  
“Dear, oh dear," the woman shook her head, “so much anger. Tell me, Alex, when did you become so angry?”  
“When you walked in."  
“No, I think it was before then."  
“I guess I’ve always been angry. Nothing’s ever given me a reason not to be."  
“There is it," Eva gave a toothy white smile, “at Point Blanc, we can help channel that anger and frustration into something positive, something meaningful. Is it safe to say you don’t get along with your parents?”  
“They don’t understand me," he said,  
“Time away from them will do you good. You will learn how to approach things in new ways, learn things about yourself you never knew."  
“Sounds like some hippie bullshit to me."  
“Alex!” David admonished. Alex rolled his eyes at him.  
“It is radical, what we do at Point Blanc. You will need time to adjust, but before long you’ll be an entirely new person. I trust you are aware you will not be permitted to see or speak to your son while he is with us?” she said this to the Friends.  
“And why is that?” Chloe was always surprised when Caroline spoke.  
“The work we do with our students is delicate and precise. It is vital that it is not interrupted."  
“I see…”  
“Well then, Alex," Eva turned to the boy, “it is clear you would greatly benefit from our help. Dr Grief will be thrilled to meet you. There is so much to work with already. Would you say it’s time I met your sister?”

Chloe passed Alex on the way to meet Eva. She grinned at him and pressed her fist against his chest.  
“Good work."  
The agent took a breath before pushing open the doors. Eva turned to watch her enter. Chloe met her eyes with apathy.  
“Chloe, dear, this is Eva Stellenbosh, the Dean at Point Blanc."  
“I know who she is," Chloe sank into the sofa and crossed her legs and arms, “she’s the person you're paying to get rid of me."  
David only sighed.  
“Quiet the family you have," Eva smiled, her red lips curling, “a pleasure to meet you, Chloe. I’d like to get to know you a little better. See if you’re a good fit for our school."  
“I’m an open book."  
“Do you like this house?” Eva began.  
“I like the pool," Chloe answered.  
“Do you have a lot of friends? Anyone you’d hate to leave behind if you came with us?”  
“I don’t exactly get on with most people,” she lent forward in the chair, “why are you asking me this shit anyway? You sound like a bloody therapist."  
“Language," Sir David said wearily,  
“I ask because I want to understand the root of all of this hatred. I felt it from your brother as well. Sad really. Such potential wasted because of needless frustration and anger."  
“I’m perfectly happy with being angry."  
“I doubt that," Eva’s mouth was like a red cut, “no one likes being angry."  
“Let’s just get to the part where you try and send me away and I say no," Chloe said, standing up.  
“I’m afraid you don’t get a say," David said, “it’s up to Miss Stellenbosch."  
“Yes. I think it would be a mistake to leave you here. If only you could see your potential. You’ll discover it in time. I suggest you pack your bags, we have a long journey ahead.”

The agent had to stop herself from running out of the room. The first part of her debut mission had been a complete success. Years of training paying off in ten minutes. She suppressed her smile until she was back with Ms Jones in the hidden study. Alex stood up from his chair when she entered, grinning from ear to ear. Chloe surprised herself by hugging him in her joy.  
“Calm down," Jones said, watching Stellenbosch enter the helicopter from an external camera, “things are only going to get harder from here. Don’t think you’re invincible."  
Alex’s cheeks were dusted with pink when the girl let him go.  
“Sorry," they said,  
For the hundredth time, Jones cursed Blunt for using teenagers.  
“Go get ready. This is it," she put a hand on each of their shoulders, “and for God’s sake, be careful."


	6. Chapter 6

Eva was a lot less talkative during the helicopter ride than she had been in the interview. Not that talking was much of an option over the roar of wind and rotary wings, even with the headsets they had been given. Unfortunately, this proved to make the journey exceedingly dull. The girl plugged her headphones into the MP3 to pass the time. She also sent a message that simply read TEST using the communications function. A few minutes later she received a reply that read TEST RECEIVED. She showed this to Alex who nodded minutely. The view over the French Alps was stunning. Snow-capped mountains for miles around canopied by crystal clear blue skies. There were pockets of trees and black rocks dotted around the mountains, but nothing else. No building, no towns, not even any roads. The last one they had flown over was already 15 minutes away. Another 5 passed before they touched down at Point Blanc. The building was ten times larger than the Friend estate. Oppressive and grey, it looked half-sunken into the snow. Eva took them both inside. Chloe shivered in the cold, neither was wearing anything suitable for snow. The girl wondered why she seemed cursed to deal with freezing to death. The Dean asked them to tip out their bags and pockets at the security checkpoint just inside the main entrance. The walls were slick pale yellow tiles and the rooms were lit with little white globes of light hanging from the ceiling. A security guard looked over their things as Chloe took note of a key alcove fixed to the wall next to him. They were probably for snowmobiles, given their shape.  
“Phones," Eva held out her gloved hand. She had dressed for the weather, apparently not thinking it necessary to warn them.  
“Seriously?” Chloe complained but gave it up all the same. The guard picked up the MP3s. Eva eyed them.  
“They’re fine," she said. Alex covered his upturned lips with a cough.  
Just as the guard was about to put the items back, Stellenbosch stopped him and picked up a bottle of mouthwash. She unscrewed the lid and sniffed the contents. Then she poured some into the cap and drank it like a shot.  
“Mmm," she said, “you have good taste in vodka at least."  
Alex gave her a dirty look. The guard then reached under the counter and pulled out two neatly ironed and folded uniforms.  
“This must be a joke," Chloe grimaced, “that’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen."  
“Not even slightly," then Eva grabbed Alex’s chin and turned it side to side, “boys shouldn’t wear earrings. Take them out."  
“No. If she can then I should be able to."  
“I can tear them out if you like," she threatened through her red lips,  
Alex obeyed.  
“Can I have them?” Chloe would feel a lot safer with two pairs.  
“I’m getting tired of this constant arguing. You have five minutes to change. Bathrooms are through there."  
In the equally sickly yellow bathroom, Chloe donned the uniform. A bright mustard jacket with black seams and black trousers. Eva gave them a brief tour when they met back up in the foyer.  
“This used to be a sanatorium," she explained as she led them through a hallway, “it used to treat patients with various mental issues many years ago. Then Dr Grief bought it and converted it for his purposes."  
“Why so many guards?” Chloe said when they passed the fourth man clad in black and carrying a gun.  
“To keep you safe. It is our top priority."  
“More like to stop us from escaping," Alex mumbled.  
“I would advise against that," she stopped at a window, through which snow was beginning to fall. Clouds had already covered the clear sky, “the nearest town is twenty miles away and the temperature never rises above freezing. You’d die from the cold before you ever reached it. Besides, why would you want to escape?”  
At the end of the hall, Eva pushed open a door. A tall man with glasses and thinning hair was standing in front of a blackboard. There was a book in his hand, from which he was reaching to a group of teens. All but two were making any attempt to appear interested. Stellenbosch presented them to the class.  
“Apologies for the interruption Dr Baxter."  
“That’s quite all right."  
“Everyone, this is Alex and Chloe. Please make them feel welcome."  
There was an unenthusiastic scattering of hellos.  
“Why don’t you introduce yourselves?” the woman suggested.  
“Hi, Chloe, Alex," said a dark-skinned girl with braided hair in the front row, “I’m Sacha."  
Her smile was wide but vacant. She had an American accent. The boy next to her was named Arrash and wore a similarly vapid expression.  
“Laura," said a girl with dyed blonde hair and brown roots. Chloe thought her accent might be Italian. James was next, a boy with straight brown hair that just touched his shoulders and dark rings under his eyes. His was Australian. The last girl in the back said nothing and continued to doodle in her workbook. The hair on the sides of her head was shaved, and she had a blocky fringe with the rest of her hair tied in a bun.  
“Kyra, say hello, please."  
“Hello please,” the girl said in a monotone. Her accent was different again, Slavic.  
“Why don’t you two tell us a little about yourselves?” Dr Baxter offered.  
Chloe took a step forward. Five pairs of eyes were on her.  
“I’m Chloe Friend, I’m eighteen, and I really don’t want to be here.”  
James snorted, “what’d you did to get in here then?”  
“Set my school on fire,” she recited, “got a bit out of hand when the science labs exploded."  
Laura and James sniggered. Kyra was ignoring them all while Arrash and Sacha were looking at her disapprovingly.  
“What about you?” Laura asked Alex.  
“I helped her do it."  
“Nice."  
“Yes, charming," Eva said, “I’m sure you are both thoroughly regretting those choices now."  
There was the sound of a bell from outside.  
“We will finish this up later," Dr Baxter said, shutting the book.  
“Laura, James, show these two to their rooms."

Alex plopped himself down on the clinical grey bed that was placed against the wall in his room.  
“£200,000 for this. What a joke."  
The room was without any flourish or decoration. There was a mirror and sink opposite the bed with a bathroom barely hidden behind a screen. A desk was built into the wall, carrying only a lamp and some workbooks. His bags were already waiting on the bed.  
“Not exactly the Ritz is it?” said the Australian, “makes you wonder where they’re putting all that money."  
“Your turn to tell us what you did to get sent here," Chloe said, sitting next to Alex and crossing her legs under her.  
“I kind of shot my tutor," James shrugged.  
Chloe laughed, “for real?”  
“Well it was only an air rifle, but he didn’t seem to want to listen to reason."  
“And you?” Alex nodded at Laura.  
“Got caught with weed and my parents flipped. Drug use is kind of a big deal when the family business is in medicine."  
“That’s rough,” Chloe sympathised, “who cares about a bit of weed anyway?”  
“And that’s what I told them, but adults just don’t seem to get it."  
“What’s going on with those two weirdos. Sacha and Arrash was it?”  
Chloe had been put off by them from the start. James ruffled his long hair.  
“God, they’re like some kind of freaky robot twins. They do everything together and talk like androids. They were alright to start with, but after a while, they turned into completely different people."  
“How long have you been here?” Chloe asked them.  
“Three months," said Laura, looking at the floor sadly,  
“Two," said James.  
“When do we get to leave this creepy place?” Alex asked.  
“Who knows? When they say you're ready I guess. The terrible twosome must be going home soon, they’re practically perfect."  
“Looks like we’re never getting away then."  
“Have you ever tried running?” Alex probed.  
“Have you been outside? Bad idea, man. Anyway, all the doors are locked with passcodes only the guards know."  
Chloe groaned emphatically and laid out on the bed, “this sucks," she moaned, “what are we even supposed to do all day?”  
“Well, there’s the lessons, but Grief also makes us do these weird group therapy sessions. He’s never got much out of Kyra though, and the freak twins don’t even have to come anymore,” Laura grinned, “but other than that, we usually find some trouble to get into.”  
“I guess we’ll let you unpack then," James said, “dinner’s at seven."

The agent waited until the door clicked closed before speaking.  
“I knew there was going to be some weird stuff going on here, but I didn’t think we’d find it so quickly," Chloe said.  
“I know. Something definitely happened to Sacha and Arrash. They acted like no one I’ve ever seen. Robots almost."  
“No life in their eyes…” she agreed.  
“What’s the plan then? Where do we go from here?”  
“For now we play our cards to our chest. No need to shake things up so soon. I think it would be best to see what the morning brings. Maybe meet this Dr Grief."  
“I agree."  
Chloe pulled out the MP3 to send a message to HQ. She clicked on the right song, but only the words NO SIGNAL appeared. She clicked the button again.  
“Alex, try yours."  
“No signal," he said as he furiously pressed the buttons, “shit."  
“It’s okay," she reassured, “we can deal with this."  
“Deal with it? We have no outside contact. How is Jones going to know when we need pulling out?”  
“Half the battle of being an agent is dealing with unexpected changes of plan. This was not unexpected. James said the doors have codes. All we have to do is find them and we’ll be able to leave whenever we want. Not to mention that Jones has a team monitoring the grounds day and night."  
Eva didn’t even knock on the door.  
“Jesus is this my room or not?” Alex quickly hid the MP3.  
“Both of you come with me. Dr Baxter needs to perform a physical.”

The doctor was waiting for them in a lab coat, clipboard in hand. Judging by the blackboard on the far wall, his office used to be a classroom. There was a running machine in the centre and an IV drip next to that. A bulky machine with several wires with suction cups coming off it was beeping softly. The man asked Alex to wait outside as he assessed Chloe.  
“If you wouldn’t mind removing your shirt.”  
The suction cups were placed on her torso and temples and the agent was told to start running. The doctor took notes from the heart monitor at regular intervals. He sped up the treadmill a little.  
“Have you any underlying medical conditions?”  
“No.”  
“Please be truthful, Miss Friend.”  
“I am being truthful.”  
“Have you ever been under anaesthetic?”  
“Why are you asking me this?”  
“The nearest hospital is too far to reach in an emergency. Even then, storms are frequent and helicopters can’t fly during them. Worst comes to worst, I would have to operate on you here should there be an accident. Wouldn’t you rather you told the truth now than faced the consequences later? I have to know if you may have a bad reaction.”  
“I see…”  
Dr Baxter was making sense, but Chloe felt that he hadn’t revealed everything.  
“So, have you or have you not ever been under anaesthetic?”  
“Yes. I broke my arm a few years ago.”  
She couldn’t lie about that. A simple x-ray would show the healed bone.  
The doctor scribbled on his clipboard.  
“Can I stop running now? I’m tired.”  
“Yes, yes, fine,” he said, “I have what I need. Everything is normal. You’re in good shape.”

The pair joined the five other students in a large, dimly lit room. Since Point Blanc used to be a sanitarium, Chloe wondered what it was used for. There was a massive projector screen attached to the back wall. In front of that was a ping pong table currently in use by Arrash and Sacha. There were a few sofas in front of the screen. Behind them were two dining tables and a buffet meal. Chloe looked at the spread of cold meats and potatoes and felt her stomach turn, opting for a safer looking tomato soup instead. Laura beckoned them over. The group ate but their attention was on the pair at the ping pong table. They were perfectly in sync, the tap of their paddles forming an infallible rhythm.  
“They eat the same thing, finish at the same time, talk with the same robot voice, now they’re apparently ping pong machines," James said while chewing a carrot, “these freaks just get weirder by the day."  
Arrash caught the ball and they both looked over to the table, “did you say something James?" he said in a voice devoid of character.  
“Don’t worry about it, bro," James sneered.  
There was the sound of plastic snapping and Kyra swore. She was sitting on the same table as them all, but as far away as possible. She was fiddling with a torn apart remote control.  
“And on the other side, we’ve got this one," James teased. Kyra ignored him, “any more of us cross to the dark side and we’ll be outnumbered."  
“Leave her alone, dickhead," Laura threw a piece of her bread at him, which he threw right back. The Australian pushed his plate towards Chloe.  
“Right lads, catch you later?" James stood up.  
“What’s this?” said Chloe.  
“Washing up rota. Me and Laura were yesterday. You’re up next with Kyra."  
“Fantastic."

The quiet girl showed her the utility room. Dim and yellow like everywhere else in the school. They pushed the trolleys of dirty dishes inside and got to work.  
“How long have you been here then?” Chloe asked.  
“Two weeks," was her deadpan reply.  
“What got you in here?” she said, washing the gravy off a spoon.  
“Doesn't matter."  
“Right.”  
An announcement came through the speakers Then she remembered the MP3 in her room and got an idea. One that might even get her a meeting with Dr Grief. The agent told the dark-haired girl she’d be right back. Kyra frowned but said nothing. Within five minutes she was back, having retrieved the MP3. Climbing on the countertop, she forced open the back of one of the speakers, fiddling with the wires until they were connected to the device. Maybe it couldn’t contact HQ, but it could still be useful. She scrolled around until she found something suitably loud and aggressive, something you would hear at a rave, and pressed play. Music blasted through the speakers and Chloe laughed, pleased she’d managed to get everything to work. The last step was to shut the light off, plunging the room into a deep red as the security lights came on. She picked her scrubber back up and set about cleaning the dishes while jumping and shouting with the beat. Kyra did not look impressed, keeping her head down and grimly continuing to clean. Soon, James, Laura and Alex appeared, eager to join in with the mischief. Chloe grinned at them and dropped the dishes in the sink. The four of them danced around the room with reckless abandon, limbs flailing, screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs.  
“Come on," Chloe smiled at Kyra, who was pretending not to enjoy herself. The agent took James’ hand and twirled him around, then linked arms with Laura and spun in circles. James had grabbed a bottle of washing up liquid and was pouring the green fluid into a basin with the water running. Soon there were suds everywhere, spilling over the sink. Kyra sat on a countertop and kept out of the way. The four of them threw suds and splashed water on each other, laughing and squealing like kids at a water park. The floor was soaking wet and Chloe slipped backwards, falling into Alex’s chest. She grabbed onto him, both laughing. Then even harder when Laura fell into them too, ending up in a heap on the floor. Chloe’s hair and clothes were soaked, what little makeup she was wearing must have been halfway down her face. Suddenly, they were blinded as the lights were flicked on. Eva was standing next to the switch, tapping one heel on the ground.  
“Who is responsible for this?” she demanded. Chloe came forward, grinning.  
“That… would be me. Guilty as charged"  
“Me as well," Alex also came forward, “take me away, officer."  
The boy held his wrists out. Eva didn’t find it nearly as funny as everyone else. 

The woman marched them to the first floor. Chloe could see another set of stair presumably leading to the second floor, but the entrance had been bricked up.  
“What’s that about?” she asked the Dean.  
“This is a very large facility. We have no use for the second floor so we keep it blocked off to save on heat and power.”  
“What is on the second floor?” Alex asked, peering at the solid brick as if trying to find a crack.  
“It’s abandoned,” she said, “there’s nothing there.”  
She stopped them outside a large door with a keycode and knocked.  
“Enter," came a man’s voice.  
The key code buzzed and the door clicked open. Eva presented the two of them to a short, stocky man with an impressively large moustache. He had salt and pepper hair that had been slicked back and wore a tailored black suit and red waistcoat. His skin was sallow and unhealthy looking and there was a dark glint to his eyes that were overshadowed by a protruding brow. If vampires existed, Chloe thought, that’s what they looked like.  
“Dr Grief, this is Chloe and Alex Friend," she announced. The girl curtsied for him emphatically. Her shoes squelched.  
“Sir," she mocked.  
“Respect, girl," Eva’s face twisted with disdain, “you will learn it."  
“I have been very excited to finally meet you both," the man said. He had an accent, South African, “you will make such wonderful editions to the family."  
“Pretty sure neither of us wants to be a part of your creepy family," Alex said, hands in his wet pockets.  
“Not now, no," he agreed, “but you came here because the person you are is not good enough. At Point Blanc, we hope to draw out your potential, show you what you would be capable of if only you tried. This experience is all about you. All of this is only possible because of you. With time, you’ll wonder why you ever fought so hard to resist."  
“What a load of utter shit."  
“Alex," Eva said.  
He turned to her. Chloe heard the strike before she saw Alex stagger back from its force. Eva had reeled back and slapped him.  
“What the hell?” Chloe shouted and tried to go to him.  
The woman blocked her and with lightning speed and locked a hand around the girl’s neck. Chloe strained against her grip. If she was Chloe Hartford, she would have stamped on her foot or kneed her in the stomach, but Chloe Friend didn’t know how to fight. She tried to pry the fingers away from her throat, gasping for breath as she did. Alex had regained his balance, but Eva let the girl go before he could fight back. Chloe fell to her knees, coughing and spluttering while sucking in air.  
“You can’t hurt us," Alex sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. He knelt beside the girl, “you can’t just hit us when we don’t listen."  
“The sooner you realise that we can do whatever we want," Dr Grief lent forward in the chair, “the sooner all of this will become so much more bearable."

The two teenagers left the office, each nursing their injury. Chloe’s neck would be sore for days while a big red mark was appearing on Alex’s cheek. They descended the stairs to the empty foyer. The guards were between shifts.  
“I’m starting to think we might be in trouble even without them knowing that we’re spies,” she whispered, “did you have any clue what he was on about?”  
Something made Alex look behind him. The tiniest flash of white disappeared behind a corner on the second-floor balcony. He shushed her.  
“Did you see that?”  
“See what?”  
“I saw something. Up there." He pointed to the second floor.  
“But that area is blocked off. You can’t get up there."  
“I saw someone," he reasserted.  
“I believe you."


	7. Chapter 7

Chloe looked at her rapidly bruising neck in the mirror and sighed. She had been horrified when Alex had been struck. It was as if a line had been crossed. All pretence of normality and safety had disappeared for her at that moment.  
Before ten o’clock, Eva appeared at her door. Chloe raised her guard as the woman smiled redly.  
“Just came to let you know that closedown is at 10."  
“Closedown?”  
“Curfew. Bedtime. You can’t learn without a good night’s sleep."  
She closed the door behind her. A few minutes later, she heard a latch flip and the door buzz. She was locked in, of course. The girl tried the MP3 again but there was still no signal. With nothing else to do but overthink how the next day would play out, Chloe forced herself to sleep.

Dr Grief was waiting for them in the classroom the next day.  
“Where’s that other guy- Dr Baxter?” Chloe asked. In truth, she had been slightly nervous to see Grief again.  
“He teaches biology and mathematics. I teach history and philosophy."  
“Right."  
The agent took a seat next to Laura, whose nose was red and eyes puffy. She sneezed loudly.  
“Bless you,” the doctor said and began his lesson.  
“What the hell happened to you two?” Laura whispered when his back was turned, “actually let me guess, it was the Stellenbitch wasn’t it?”  
“Yeah, she didn’t like what we had to say to Grief."  
“Bitch. I’m getting my mom to sue the hell out of them when we leave."  
“I’m sure you’ve all heard of the trolley problem,” Grief was saying while pacing the room, “save one person or save five. The dilemma occurs in deciding whether it is moral to sacrifice the one to save the many. I’m sure you all have your own thoughts on this, but as a utilitarian myself, I believe it is wholly justified to sacrifice the few for the benefit of the many. Think about the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Was that justified if you can argue that it ended the war and thus saves millions of lives?  
Laura interrupted his speech with a painful cough. He continued, “Indeed, it is a simple thought experiment with complex and infinite interpretations. Great men have wrestled with this concept and lost. Hitler, Stalin, Mao. Their attempts to sacrifice the few were too intense, too aggressive." Chloe couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “and that is why they failed."  
“And you think you’re the one to do it right?” Alex remarked.  
Under his thick curly moustache, Grief’s thin lips turned upwards, “it’s just a thought experiment, my boy."  
Laura broke into a fit of coughing, startling everyone out of the tense moment between student and teacher.  
“My God, Laura. Go see Dr Baxter."  
“No. I’m fine," she wheezed.  
“Yes, you will be. Go." 

That evening everyone was expected to attend a showing of Stagecoach, a black and white Western, on the projector. She was about to sit next to Alex on the sofa when Sacha took the space. The agent said nothing and sat next to James instead. Occasionally, she snuck glances behind her, where she saw the girl move closer to the newbie every time he moved away. The film wasn't particularly exciting and Chloe had to fight to keep her eyes open. When Sacha started talking, it was impossible not to hear.  
“There’s something weird about you,” her tone was strangely flirtatious, “like you don’t belong here."  
There were a few moments of silence, then there was the sound of skin rubbing on fabric.  
“Woah, what are you doing? Alex exclaimed.  
Chloe had to look. The boy had Sacha’s wrist in his hand.  
“Do you think I’m pretty?” the girl asked. Chloe and James exchanged a look. He seemed more amused than anything else. The agent, however, had her hackles raised. When Alex didn’t answer, she said, “I do. I’m lucky. I think I’m much prettier than… Laura," silence again, then, “do you want to kiss me?”  
Chloe heard Alex struggle to push her off. Everyone was watching them at that point, the film forgotten.  
“What are you doing?”  
“What, you don’t like kissing?”  
“Not with you."  
“You should have enjoyed it," she said spitefully, “while you had the chance."  
Chloe caught his eye. The boy looked thoroughly shaken.  
“Freak," the agent called after Sacha as she stomped off, “you okay?”  
“Yeah," he said, not sounding so sure.  
Chloe excused herself from the screening, giving her partner a quick jerk of the head to tell him to follow. A little later, they met in the utility room, empty after the dishes had been cleaned already that evening.  
“What the hell was that?”  
“You’re asking me as if I would know."  
He wiped the back of his hand over his mouth.  
“I don’t understand what she was aiming for. What reaction could she have possibly expected from you? Did she think you two would start making out like horny kids at the back of a cinema?”  
“It does tell us something though."  
“What?”  
“Either she is just that socially clueless, or she was told to do it. To fuck with me maybe, who knows what they want."  
“That’s true. Maybe she was trying to get closer to spy on you. She just wasn’t very good at the seduction part of it."  
“Jesus, what on earth have we gotten into. I’m suddenly feeling very thankful that our doors lock at night."

Meeting everyone in the mess hall for breakfast was becoming an increasingly daunting event. Sacha glared at Alex as she passed him. The boy didn’t notice. He had an appearance of deep thought, eyebrows tightly knitted over brown eyes.  
“What’s got you all pensive?” James asked, noticing his expression.  
“I had this dream," Alex rubbed his temple. There were bags under his eyes.  
“That’s perfectly normal for a boy your age-”  
“No no, like a nightmare," he explained, “like I wasn’t in control of myself. And there were people looking at me and lots of metal everywhere. Metal surfaces."  
Kyra was listening intently, then said, “and there were bright lights in your face, getting closer. And buzzing noises. And beeping"  
The table was silent.  
“I’ve had that dream too," said James, wide-eyed and pale-skinned.  
They looked at Chloe.  
“No weird dreams for me. But this is not normal."  
“Yeah. People don’t just have the same dream for no reason. It doesn’t happen," Kyra said, “something’s going on."  
Laura entered. The colour had returned to her face and she was no longer sniffing every other second.  
“Laura! You’re back," James called her over from the buffet, “you feeling better?”  
“Much better, thank you."  
Chloe’s heart sank. It wasn’t her voice, but that of a synthetic imitation, like a recording almost.  
“I thought you hated that stuff."  
Laura had chosen the porridge for the first time since James had known her.  
“Sometimes, it’s good to change."  
They all watched her pass her usual seat in horror.  
“What are you doing, Laura? Don’t tell me they’ve got you too?”  
“I don’t know what you mean," came her unreal voice as from the other table, “I’ve just decided to stop resisting, that’s all. It’ll be much, much easier if you all could do the same."  
James kicked his chair back and stormed off.

They, Chloe, Alex and Kyra, found him in the utility room. He was pacing back and forth, his long hair a mess, clearly distraught over the loss of his friend.  
“You can’t just change like that!” he was saying, “it doesn't happen. You can’t just flip a switch. Stellenbitch and Dr Frankenstein had to have done something to her."  
“But what though? It doesn’t make any sense," Kyra said.  
“Brainwashing, drugs, I don’t know! All I do know is that we have to get out of here now. Before it happens to us. We can find help for her when we’ve escaped."  
“All the doors are coded and it’s freezing outside, it’s impossible," Kyra reminded him.  
“Can’t we just try numbers until we find the right one?” Alex suggested.  
“No, we have one chance," James explained, “I’ve tried it before. One wrong guess and all the alarms go off."  
“Couldn’t you hack into the system?” Chloe said before she thought it through. How was Chloe Friend supposed to know that Kyra had wiped billions off the stock market?  
“What makes you think I could do that?”  
“Could you do it?” Alex reasserted. Kyra thought for a while.  
“Yes. If we could get into Grief’s office and I could use his computer, I might be able to manually change the codes."  
“But Grief’s office has a keypad. So we’re back to square one," said Chloe.  
James hit the countertop.  
“Not necessarily. I have a plan," Alex said, “who has a pencil?”

Chloe was thinking of somehow dismantling the keypad and rewiring it, but Alex’s solution was a lot less complicated. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, using a razor to shave away the graphite from a pencil. Tiny specs of grey floated onto a sheet of paper below it.  
“This is like something from a cartoon," Kyra said, incredulous.  
“Got a better idea?” she shook her head, “didn’t think so."  
“Just hurry up. Once Grief goes into his office he doesn’t come out for hours. We might only have one chance tonight."  
Once he had enough, Alex took apart a cheap plastic pen. It had a hollow centre and a hole in the top. They were ready. Chloe held Alex back while Kyra and James hurried to the 1st-floor office.  
“I know this is your plan, but let me go in with Kyra."  
“Why?”  
“Just say yes," she said.  
“Fine, but promise me you’ll search my uncle's name on the computer. I still haven't learnt a single thing about him."  
“If there’s time," Chloe promised.

James stood guard at the bottom of the stairs. Alex was at the end of the hall, watching for security guards. Kyra was hiding behind a corner, watching Chloe blow the shavings onto the keypad. A cough forced its way through her throat as she accidentally inhaled some, nearly blowing the rest away. Suddenly, she heard James speaking quickly to someone downstairs.  
“Dr Grief!” he said loudly for her benefit, stepping in front of the man.  
“James."  
“Yes, um, just the person I wanted to see."  
“What is it?”  
James gestured around, trying to find something to stall him with.  
“Erm, the trolley problem!” he said finally, “fascinating stuff. I was just wondering what other real-life examples you had. I’m like, totally into philosophy."  
Chloe had nearly covered the whole keypad, just a little more. The doctor was almost at the top of the stairs.  
“I’m glad you’re finally applying yourself," said Dr Grief in his slow, calculating voice, “but I am rather busy. I would be happy to speak to you tomorrow if you wish."  
A door slammed above them.  
“Sorry," Kyra said, standing in front of said door. Chloe had already slunk away.  
“I’m all right actually, cheers though, mate."  
The boy followed Kyra away. From around the corner where Chloe was peeking from, she saw Grief huff before approaching the keypad. He didn’t even look at it while entering the numbers. She heard four beeps, and therefore four numbers were entered. Grief disappeared inside his office. The agent ran as quietly as possible to see which digits had been pressed. They were 1, 8 and 9. No time was wasted in regrouping back in the utility room that was quickly becoming their base of operations

“1, 8, 9," James shook his head, “but I heard him press four numbers."  
“One must be repeated then," Kyra said, “and don’t bother trying to guess, there are literally millions of combinations."  
“Maybe not," Alex said as he wrote the numbers on a piece of paper, “Grief’s clearly got a few screws loose. He calls Hitler a great man and has us watch movies that Stalin famously loved."  
He wrote an eight as the third number.  
“The year Hitler was born,” Chloe realised, “that has to be it."

They watched Grief’s office in shifts. It was beginning to seem like he’d never leave when Eva knocked on his door. After a quick word inside, the two of them were in a hurry to get somewhere. Chloe thought they looked panicked. Kyra entered the numbers and there was a satisfying click as they were allowed inside. The dark-haired girl ran over to the computer, a square, clunky machine that looked about 30 years out of date. There was a thick keyboard and a receiver hooked onto the side.  
“I’m in," Kyra said after five minutes of intense concentration, “what do you want the code to be?”  
“Just zeros."  
“Done."  
As Kyra was covering her tracks, Chloe opened desk drawers and rifles through files. Nothing was interesting.  
“Do me favour. Search Ian Rider on the computer."  
“Why?”  
“Please."  
Kyra sighed and typed in the name.  
“Nothing," she said, “there’s nothing here. Let’s go, we’ve done what we had to."  
At that moment, the sound of classical music could be heard blaring from downstairs. Definitely the signal to get out. Chloe sprinted to the door, then ran back to the desk to straighten out all the things they’d disturbed.  
“Come on!” Kyra begged.  
The hall was empty. Whatever distraction James and Alex had used had worked. The girls saw Stellenbosch and Grief storm into the mess hall from where the music was coming from. James and Alex were dancing together around the room. Eva ripped out the cord that connected the speakers to the record player. Then she grabbed each boy by the jaw.  
“I was just really feeling the music," James said through squashed lips.  
“Everyone, go to your rooms," the woman was livid, “except you James. I’ve been meaning to have a word. My office."  
Grief personally saw that they all returned to their rooms, but once he was gone, Chloe snuck right back out. It wasn’t closedown yet so the doors weren’t locked. She didn’t wait to see if Alex had the same idea. It was better that he stayed out of as much trouble as possible. The agent ducked along the front desk in the foyer as the guard posted there was distracted with the crossword. She had to get to the stairs but there was no way to avoid being seen. She reached for the broken pen that was still in her pocket and threw it into an opposite hallway. The guard heard the suspicious noise and went to investigate. The girl seized her chance and ran up the steps. She guessed Eva’s office would be near Grief’s and began reading the nameplates outside several doors. Most were in French, but then she found it, Eva Stellenbosch. Chloe was wondering how it was spelt. With her ear pressed against the wood, she strained to listen. There were no sounds from inside. It may have been a stupid move, but there was a good chance that James was in danger. Chloe put four zeros into the keypad and opened the door.  
There was nobody inside.  
She scanned every inch of the room. It was large, but not large enough to hide two people. They had just vanished. Chloe had only been in her room for two minutes, surely that wasn’t enough time for James to have come back yet? The agent hadn’t thought to check his room before she left. With no clues left to follow, the only choice was to go back to the dorms. She checked for the guard in the foyer but he had already left. This was bad, first Laura now James. Chloe had the sickening feeling that he wouldn’t be sitting at their table for breakfast the next day.  
“Chloe," hissed a voice. Alex appeared from the direction of their rooms, “what are you doing?"  
“James is-” But Chloe cut herself off and pulled Alex around the corner. There was no mistaking it. It was him. Alex saw him too. A tall man with brown skin and a violent scar down one side of his face. His eyes were more black than brown. Chloe had been told about this man, Yassen Gregorovitch, and she was afraid.  
“Is anyone there?” came Yassen’s deep voice.  
Chloe tried to stop the boy, but Alex just pushed her away and confronted the man.  
“What?” he had donned his Alex Friend attitude.  
“Alex?” the man said with a quirk of his lips, “Alex... Friend?”  
“Who are you?” the boy said darkly. There was something about the man’s aura that put him on guard.  
“Just visiting an associate,” the man turned to leave, then said, “another time maybe.”  
Alex returned to the girl, whose figure trembled slightly in the low light. That must have been why Eva and Grief had rushed off so suddenly from his office. Maybe they hadn’t been expecting him either. Her hands were clenched. Jones and Blunt had to be told that Yassen was involved as soon as possible. It was too early to say if he could have been responsible for Ian. But if he was connected somehow, whatever was going on at Point Blanc had the attention of some very dangerous people.  
“Chloe," he touched her shoulder, “are you acting again?”  
The agent didn’t face him.  
“Who was that man?”  
She sucked in air.  
“If we make it out of this, I promise I’ll tell you," she said, “but if you ever want your life to go back to normal, you won’t ask me again."


	8. Chapter 8

It was the Newbie’s job to keep an eye on the time. There was only an hour until closedown. Kyra perched next to Chloe on Alex’s desk. The mood was heavy. They had lost another team member.  
“He wasn’t there," Chloe said, “neither of them were."  
“There must be some kind of hidden room," Kyra theorised.  
“I didn’t see anything like that, but it’s possible."  
“Did you do what I asked?” Alex’s eyes were filled with cautious hope. The agent hated letting him down.  
“I’m sorry, there was nothing."  
The boy rubbed his face.  
“Okay, thanks."  
Kyra’s eyes flickered between both of them, “okay, you guys need to tell me what the hell is going on. Who is Ian Rider?”  
Alex looked at the blonde. She pressed her lips into a thin line.  
“It’s better if you don’t know."  
That was not what Kyra wanted to hear. She let out a noise of frustration but did not press them further.  
“Whatever. But Laura is gone, James is probably gone too. We need a game plan or we’re screwed."  
The trio grew silent as they thought through their options. Running away into the snow had to be the last resort. Another option was to steal the keys to some snowmobiles. They were unsecured after all, but none of them knew where they were kept.  
“I don’t know how we're going to escape," Alex said, “but I think we need to go back to Stellenbosch’s office. Maybe if we can find where they took James, we could find some answers."  
“We don’t need answers, we need to find the snowmobiles and get the hell out!” Kyra’s eyes were fearful but determined.  
“Maybe there will be an emergency exit wherever this secret place is. Another way out. We have to try," Chloe said.  
Kyra breathed deeply and finally agreed, “God, you two are so-" she sighed, “how are we going to get back in? Stellenbosch checks our rooms before closedown. Which is in forty minutes, may I remind you."  
“Stay here" Alex stood up, “I have to get something. I’ll be back before the doors lock."  
Chloe caught his elbow before he could leave.  
“Better if it’s just me,” he said gently, “no point in two of us getting caught if something goes wrong."  
She let him go reluctantly. He was right of course, but she couldn’t stand the thought of him being dragged away just like James and Laura.

“How did you know about my… expertise?” Kyra asked when Alex had left, “my identity was protected by the government. No one should know."  
“My father is very rich and has his foot in a lot of doors, and sometimes I have mine in his. I don’t know where he gets his information."  
“Right," Kyra wasn’t convinced, “so you knew about me before you came here?”  
“Well, seeing you put a face to a name. That’s as far as my knowledge of you goes."  
“And you and Alex- you two just happened to be accepted into the same reform school? One with only six students before you?”  
“Who was the sixth?” Chloe asked though she knew who it was from her debriefing.  
“Parker Roscoe. The son of Micheal Roscoe. He left a while before you showed up."  
“Makes sense. The guy seems like a major arsehole from his Youtube videos. Did he zombify like everyone else?”  
“Yeah. Totally freaky. He was the worst of us, just in terms of how he acted, then one day it was like a switch flipped and he was Mr Golden Boy. Still a massive prick though."  
“I hear he’s taken over from his father now, he-”  
“I know what you're doing," Kyra narrowed her eyes, “stop trying to derail the conversation."  
I’m not."  
“You’re trying to distract me from asking the wrong questions. You know, Sacha was right, there is something weird about you both. I need to know what’s going on. For all I know, the situation we’re in is life or death. I have to know if I can trust you."  
“Kyra, I’m sorry. I just can’t."  
Alex knocked before entering. His skin was slightly sweaty and he was breathing quickly.  
“Had to dodge a guard or two, but I got them."  
He held up three washers like casino tokens.  
“Where did you get these?” Chloe took hers.  
“From the washing machines in the utility room. Here’s the plan," they gathered around him as he checked his watch again, “okay, we have twenty minutes before the doors lock. If we’re lucky, putting one of these in between the latch and the doorframe will cause the lock to fail. Then we go see what’s going on in Stellenbosch’s office."  
Chloe almost laughed at the simple genius of the boy’s idea.  
“Amazing," she said, then blushed, “I mean, we should wait a few hours, say two, to make sure no one is hanging around to see us sneak out."  
“Good idea," he said and turned to Kyra, who was nervously spinning the disk-shaped object in her slender fingers, “are you with us?”  
The girl looked at Chloe, “I’m increasingly wondering why but... Yes. I’ll do it."  
“Meet you in two hours."

With Kyra in her room, pretending to be asleep and fifteen minutes until closedown, Chloe knocked on Alex’s door once again. He looked through the little window and let her in.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Kyra kept asking me what was going on with us. She knows something's up."  
“It’s not exactly easy to ignore, he said, “we know things we shouldn’t know, do things normal people don’t know how to do."  
“I…” Chloe didn’t know how to start, “when we get to this secret place in the Dean’s office- if it even exists… As soon as things start looking ugly, I want you to get Kyra away. I want you to keep her safe. She’s innocent. She doesn't deserve to be caught up in all of this."  
The low light cast a large shadow over the boy’s face.  
“We both know that this is just another way to tell me to leave everything to you."  
“Alex, that’s not what I meant."  
“It is. I understand your point of view, but you cannot seriously expect me to leave you and just run away while you're in trouble."  
Chloe looked at the floor. That’s exactly what she wanted him to do.  
“Could you imagine leaving me to fight for myself?”  
“No," she admitted, “I’d never."  
“Exactly." Alex’s shoes came into view. She looked up as he put his hands on her shoulders, “we’re a team. Watching each other’s backs is the whole point of having a partner, right?”  
Chloe smiled.  
“Besides, Kyra’s kind of a badass as well. Just not with her fists."  
“You’re right."  
Chloe pulled him into a hug, her ear pressed against his broad chest. She could hear his heartbeat. The boy put his arms around her, “we’re a team. I trust you."  
It felt like instinct to kiss him at that moment. Chloe would have dismissed the feeling if Alex had not looked at her with those kind brown eyes. If she couldn’t feel his heart hammering in his ribcage. Their lips pressed together. Chloe sighed into the kiss as he tangled his fingers into her hair. Vaguely, she was aware of the time slipping away, but she wanted to savour this so badly. The urge to push him onto the bed was overwhelming, but so was the obvious reality that that was a stupid idea.  
“We should stop," she said, breaking away finally.  
Chloe felt that even the short distance between them was too great. She looked at his lips, red and swollen. His hair was a mess and his jacket had been half pulled off his shoulders. The agent knew she must look much the same.  
“One more," she said, raising her face to him, “just one more."

Chloe slid the washer in front of the lock, forcing her mind to focus on the task ahead. With any luck, blocking the mechanism wouldn’t set off any alarms. That was something Alex hadn’t considered. The Dean made her rounds like clockwork. Through the small glass slit in the door, she grinned at Chloe, who scowled back as the bruises on her neck suddenly felt very sore. After that, as she lay in bed, she heard the mechanisms whirring and clicking as it failed to lock. She bit her lip, waiting to hear alarms blaring. Silence. Alex’s plan had gone perfectly. Chloe kept herself awake by stretching and listening to the MP3. If something dangerous was waiting for them, she had to be ready to fight. The thought of Alex standing next to her as they had to defend themselves was strangely comforting. The agent also put pillows under the duvet. A trick as old as time, but it was worth it to try. She checked her watch- it was 12 on the dot. The girl peeked out of the window. Kyra was already there, holding a broken chair leg. Chloe opened her door and caught the washer before it fell.  
“Any weapon is better than no weapon," said Chloe, approvingly.  
Alex joined them moments later.  
“Ready? Let’s go."

This time, they did not need to pass the foyer and its inevitable guards. Kyra showed them another staircase that led to the opposite end of the first-floor hallway. It took a little longer, but at least there was no need to find a way to distract the foyer guard. The dark-haired girl entered four zeros into the keypad and cringed at the loud beep. Alex looked around them, but there was no movement, nor any other noise that might tell them someone had heard. The three of them entered cautiously, Kyra shutting the door with excruciating delicacy. The agent was immediately drawn to the large bookcase to her left, remembering Sir David’s own secret room. She ran her hands along the sides of it as well as touching and pulling certain books. Nothing. Alex searched the mirror while Kyra took the desk. There was a sound like something decompressing from the boy’s direction. He had found something, and now the two-meter long mirror was swinging open like a giant glass mouth.  
One by one they entered and found themselves in a tiny corridor. It was lit by a single bulb on the ceiling. Alex shut the mirror behind them. Kyra gripped the chair leg in her pale hands as they crept towards a wooden staircase. Twisting up to the left was the exit, another door. Chloe signalled for them to line up behind it. Kyra gave her the weapon as Alex pushed the door open. The second floor opened out before them. Where it was impossible to see from the ground and first floors, this floor had the exact same layout as their dorms. The agent gave Kyra back her weapon when it was clear that no one was around. The girl looked thankful to have it back. There was a guard room at the far end. Through the windows, she could see computer monitors and a half-empty cup of coffee. Presumably abandoned or forgotten as there was no steam rising from the rim. She tried the door- locked. The only place to go was the rooms, each with a matching number with that of the lower floors. Through the window of her room, 102, was… her room.  
“What on earth?” she whispered. The other two had found the same thing.  
“Split up?” Kyra suggested. They nodded grimly.  
Chloe’s skin crawled as she went in. It was as if she had passed some kind of threshold to another world, a parallel universe. Everything was exactly the same, and yet… There was her toothbrush right where she had left it, the photoshopped picture of her and Alex with the Friends, even her makeup had been arranged the same. Her bed was immaculately made, as she always left it. Only the desk was the only real difference. A computer monitor was displaying what looked like security footage. She moved closer to get a better look. A figure with long blonde hair was undressing with her back to the camera. There was no mistaking it. It was herself. Bile rose in her throat as the footage showed her climb into the shower. Chloe had considered the possibility that they were being filmed, but she had checked her room and found nothing. Even then, she still hadn’t eliminated that possibility, but these cameras were watching her in the shower too. There was nothing to block it. Either there was some sick pervert with control over camera placement, or it was deliberate.  
She felt like an animal in a zoo, observed and studied in every aspect. The girl involuntarily shuddered. Whoever was watching would have seen them kiss, or would when the footage was reviewed. No matter how troubled they thought herself and Alex were, that would raise some awkward questions. The film had to be erased. There was a VCR next to the monitor, which fit with Grief’s propensity towards outdated things, outdated ideas. She hurried to Alex’s room where she found him staring in horror at his own film. His bed was unmade, as he always left it. A VCR occupied a similar space in his room. She pressed a button, hearing the machine erase the footage.  
“Someone will notice it’s gone," he said. His face was pale as milk.  
“Better than them seeing what’s on it."  
The girl hugged him but quickly let go. She didn’t want him to notice she was trembling. Even now, Chloe felt self-conscious and watched. Someone had been looking through a screen at her when she thought she was alone. It was horrifying.  
They met Kyra in the hall. No one knew what to say.  
“Let’s go, there’s nothing else here," Chloe said.  
Footsteps echoed from around a corner. The three of them hid behind the security room, crouching low to the ground. She recognised the sound of Stellenbosch’s heels. There were two others, Grief and Dr Baxter.  
“And this is the only copy of your work?” Grief said in his thick accent. He was holding a large white binder.  
“Yes, the only one, as you requested."  
“Wonderful," he patted the other man on the shoulder, “your work here has been nothing short of exceptional, Doctor. Revolutionary, in fact."  
“Indeed. But it is _such_ a shame that my greatest work will go unnoticed."  
“I never knew you to covet glory, Doctor," Eva said.  
“No, I suppose not. It is merely a shame."  
“If it is any comfort to you," Grief pulled his hand out of his vest pocket. Chloe saw the glint of the blade before it pierced Baxter’s heart, “Eva and I shall never forget your contribution to the future."  
Dr Baxter crumpled like a ragdoll, clinging desperately to the man’s arm. Blood burst from his mouth as he tried to breathe.  
“Have his body disposed of,” the doctor told Stellenbosch and disappeared into another room.  
The way back to the woman’s office was clear. Chloe looked to the two behind her. Kyra had tears in her eyes. She was shaking, hugging her arms to herself. Alex only wore an expression of grim exhaustion. The agent had never killed anyone. Never even seen a man die. The reality of the world she was in crashed into her like a wave. One day, she might have to do _that_ to someone. Watch their eyes roll back as they lost consciousness forever. It was what she had been preparing for, but never before had she felt so much like a child in an adult’s world. With a jerk of her head, she signalled for them to move. No one said a word as they crept back down the stairs to their real rooms. Nothing felt safe. Nothing felt real.  
In the agent’s room, she relayed the grim reality.  
“Come tomorrow, they’re going to realise we weren’t in our rooms tonight. They come for us and do whatever they did to Laura and the others. If we’re going to get out, it has to be tomorrow. As soon as possible."  
“We still haven't looked in the basement," Alex said, “if the answers weren’t upstairs, they must be there."  
“Fuck your answers!” Kyra exploded, “we just saw Grief stab a man to death, we have to get the hell out. Now."  
“Don’t you want to know why? Why he’s doing all this?”  
“Not as much as I want to keep my life."  
“We can’t escape at night. The temperature would kill us in hours. Not to mention that we won’t know where the hell we’re going."  
“Better than being killed by some Nazi maniac."  
“It doesn’t change the fact that we won’t be able to do a thing until morning. I think it would be best if we tried to get some sleep. Maybe things will be clearer then."  
Kyra’s large eyes were brimming with tears. Chloe drew her into a hug, “I promise. Everything will be okay."  
The dark-haired girl rubbed her eyes and left without so much as a goodnight. Chloe held her head in her hands, feeling as though she had just told a lie. Alex kissed her forehead.  
“Things _will_ be okay. I’ll see you in the morning."


	9. Chapter 9

It wasn’t a surprise when James didn’t sit with them at breakfast.  
“James," Alex tried weakly, “what are you doing, man?”  
“Nothing, man," the boy said stiffly.  
“You’re not going to sit with us?” Kyra was pulling at her jacket sleeves.  
“Not today. Still mates though, right?”  
The twist of his mouth into a grin felt cruel. As if he were mocking them.  
Sacha twirled her hair, “not fun to be in the minority, is it Alex? I told you you should have enjoyed it." 

The three of them floated through the morning's lesson, waiting for someone to knock on the door to take them away. When Eva Stellenbocsh entered, Chloe gripped her pen. As soon as someone tried to grab her, it would be going right in their eye. But the woman wasn’t there for all of them.  
“Sorry Dr Grief," she spoke, “just a message for Kyra. I’d like a word in my office later."  
She didn’t look up from her books, only nodded. Her body was frozen still. They stayed behind when the class emptied. Something like determination had manifested in Kyra’s brown eyes.  
“I’m out of time, Chloe. I’m leaving whether you come on not."  
“You could hide," Alex attempted, but Kyra just shook her head.  
“Hide where? This is it."  
“What are you going to do?” Chloe asked.  
“Better you don’t know. That way when they come for you, you won’t be able to tell them."  
They wished each other luck. No one was sure they’d see each other again.

The agent plugged in Kyra’s code to the basement. Itself located down some stairs near the utility room. There was a blinking red light above the door. They both readied themselves. Neither had any idea what could be beyond. The basement continued down a narrow corridor. At the end, it opened out into several laboratories full of complicated equipment and chemicals. There were cabinets full of drugs in little glass bottles and stainless steel work surfaces.  
“This is the place from my dream...” Alex realised.  
Several shiny metal tables were in the middle of one of the labs. There were thick leather straps attached to either side. Chloe headed over to a computer on one of the sterile surfaces. She clicked around, trying to find anything that might tell them what kind of work was being done in these basement laboratories. In the file directory, she clicked on the folder that was simply called _Project Gemini._ The file contained pictures. She picked one at random. Two people popped onto the screen. On the left was a girl that bore a disconcerting resemblance to both Grief and Sasha, on the right… was Sacha herself. Chloe selected another image. James appeared this time. His true image on the right, and a sickening mesh of himself and the doctor on the left.  
“Chloe, look," Alex’s voice held a quiet horror. He was holding a file headed _Project Gemini_ again with the symbol for infinity underneath. She took it and flipped through. Inside were countless images of Alex. One showed his left eye stretched open with a delicate metal claw, another depicted scans of his teeth from every angle. Under each photo were extremely detailed measurements for every part of his body. Inside this folder was Alex Rider, but described only in numbers and data.  
“So they’re watching our behaviour and monitoring our bodies. But for what? Why?” Chloe shook her head, “is there one on me? I never had the same dream as you."  
“I couldn’t find anything."  
“Maybe they didn’t have time to drug and analyse me. I bet it was Baxter doing the data collection, and they killed him only yesterday. Something must have happened for them to cover their tracks like that."  
“We need to find out more," Alex said. His skin was still pale. Seeing himself in photos he never knew had been taken made him sick, “let’s keep looking."  
Continuing down an adjacent hall, the two of them kept their footfalls light and breathing steady. The basement seemed empty, but it was best to be cautious. At the end of the hall was a stark white light, under it, Chloe saw what looked like a prison cell. A cell with people in it. She approached them. There were five, all crammed together in the same space. Some were sitting on the floor with heads hung, others were lying down on the beds. And then Chloe recognised James’ long brown hair. He was leaning against the bars, eyes on the floor.  
“James?” Alex whispered.  
“Alex? Chloe? Guys look!”  
The others all came forward. Each one looked like they had been through hell. Pale, sunken faces watched them with wide eyes. Laura was there, and Arrash and Sacha. There was another that she knew was Parker Roscoe. They were all talking to them at once.  
“Listen," Parker pleaded, “my dad has a lot of money, he can get you anything you want. Just get me the hell out of here."  
“Come on," James hit the bars, “open the door, you have to let us out, please."  
Alex searched around for a key or some kind of device, but Chloe stopped him.  
“Be quiet, do you want the whole place to know that we’ve found you?” the captives grew silent. Laura sat on a bed and began to cry, “I want to let you out, but you’ll just be found. There’s nowhere to hide. Me and Alex are going to find out what’s going on and get help."  
“Fuck that, you have to open the door, man," James was almost in tears himself, “you know why they’re like that?” he pointed to Arrash who was clutching his head with tears running down his face, “they’re questioning us, man. Non-stop, over and over. Sometimes it’s just the name of your first pet, then sometimes it’s your credit card number. And if you won’t talk…” he squeezed his eyes shut, “they make you talk."  
“Please, Alex, Chloe," Laura sobbed, “please."  
A door slammed. They’d been discovered. Chloe grit her teeth. She didn’t want to leave them. Blunt’s voice was in her head, telling her they’d only slow her down, but she wasn’t strong enough to put the mission before the people begging for her help. An alarm was blaring and they heard running. Alex dragged her away from the cell.  
“No!” James cried desperately, “you have to let us out, you have to!”  
The agent tried to block out the boy’s screaming. Alex pulled her to an adjacent hallway, running full pelt. She could hear people behind them. They burst through a set of double doors, right on top of a guard unit headed by the Dean.  
Chloe shook off the newbie’s hand and used her momentum to crash through them all. They had guns, but she took a gamble that they wouldn’t let them off in such a tight space. Doing so would deafen them all. The girl focussed on the man directly in front of her who had been thrown off balance. She punched his throat with all the force she could manage in such tight conditions. He crumpled into a ball as he struggled to breath. There was no room to move, there were bodies everywhere. Some standing, some trying to stand. Alex caught the barrel of a gun as a guard tried to hit him with it. They wrestled but the boy managed to knock the man out with the stock. The agent felt someone pulled her arm behind her. She jumped, pushing her feet off the wall she’d been turned towards. The soldier was hurled backwards. Chloe thought her arm would be torn off. The guard collided with the opposite surface and she heard a crack as his head hit the concrete. She had been released.  
Eva was watching the chaos unfold, a look of amusement on her face. Had this fight taken place in the open, they would not have stood chance. Chloe broke the arm of the man about to force Alex to the ground. Had he not been so focussed on avoiding the newbie’s thrashing strikes, he might have had time to react. The agent put his elbow flat against her raised knee and jerked his hand back. The man let out a hideous scream, spit flying out of his mouth. The agent let him fall, but no sooner than he hit the floor was someone else on them. This time it was Eva. Alex and Chloe settling into their preferred stances, waiting for someone to make the first move. Adrenaline stopped them from feeling the building fatigue. A gun was in the woman’s hand. She surveyed the carnage around them. Men were rolling on the floor, groaning in pain. The one Chloe had hit in the throat was wheezing.  
“It looks like there is a lot we need to talk about," she said, “you’ve been very naughty, haven’t you both?”  
The girl didn’t feel the dart go into her neck. The needle was too thin to hurt.

The first thing the agent noticed when she came to, was the pressure across her wrists and ankles. She couldn’t move an inch. When she attempted to look down, Eva Stellenbosch forced her head back. The smell of leather was in the air as the woman fastened the buckle securing her head to the table. Chloe could only just swivel her eyes enough to the right to see her partner stuck in the same position.  
“Alex, are you okay?”  
“I’m fine," he said, “what about you?”  
“I’m fine."  
The Dean laughed a dry laugh, “how very sweet, almost like real brothers and sisters. But you're not, are you?”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“And the innocent act is _so_ very cute, but we are running out of time. I will give you one more chance to explain yourself, or-” she held up a syringe for them both to see, “I will be forced to use less kind methods.”  
Neither said a word. Chloe guessed the drug in the syringe was some kind of ‘truth serum’ as the agents at MI6 liked to call it. She had been trained to withstand it to some degree, but Alex… Dr Grief stepped into view. The girl hadn’t noticed his presence. “Give me the other syringe. I’ll do the girl."  
“Don’t you fucking dare," Alex growled, thrashing in his bonds, but Eva didn’t even look at him. Chloe grunted as the needle went into her neck.  
“You will tell us what we want to know," the man said as if it were fact, “it is only a matter of time.”  
In only five minutes, the newbie was almost incoherent. His head lolled from side to side and his eyes rolled around in their sockets like golf balls.  
“What is your name?” Eva started simply.  
“Alex," was his slurred reply.  
“Chloe," she hoped she sounded convincingly drugged. She did feel dizzy and a little slow, but she still had control over her thoughts. It felt a bit like being drunk.  
“Your last name?”  
“Friend," Chloe hoped Alex would follow suit.  
The boy struggled to form the words, unable to decide on the right answer, “F- Friend," he said finally. Chloe let out the breath she’d been holding in. Grief narrowed his eyes at her.  
“Why are you here?" Eva tried again.  
“Ian… Rider," the boy said.  
Despair gripped the girl’s heart. This was it, Alex had given them away. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for a triumphant laugh or even the killing blow now they had the information they needed. Instead, the doctor and the Dean were confused.  
“Who? Who is Ian Rider?”  
“What?” the newbie tried to focus his eyes, “you don’t know?”  
“Who is he?” Grief demanded.  
“No. No, that can’t be right. You have to know who he is!” Alex was shouting, furious at his captors, becoming increasingly worked up with each word.  
“Tell us who he is. Who is Ian Rider? Is he the person that sent you?”  
“Those arseholes. Setting me up… But it’s okay… It’s okay, I can find paper clips anytime I want." Alex had adopted the tone of a child showing off to his parents. Though she supposed she should be used to it at that point, Chloe was once again floored by his ability to pull through seemingly any situation. Even Eva and Grief were bewildered.  
“Are you sure he’s had the correct dose?” Grief asked his assistant.  
“I’m sure. He shouldn’t be able to control his thoughts.”  
“This isn’t working. Neither of them is talking.”  
“I suggest we leave them here to sweat it out. Try again with a larger dose, or maybe with more…” she grinned, “tangible methods.”

The two agents were left strapped to the tables. Panic was beginning to set in. Truth serum was one thing, torture was another. Not to mention that she had absolutely no idea how to escape. It was impossible to move any part of her body from its fixed position. Sweat was forming on her forehead under the strap, but it was too tight for even that to allow her to slide out.  
“Alex," she hissed, nervous that they were being watched, “Alex!”  
The boy was out cold. An hour passed, then another. Eventually, the boy regained his senses. The girl heard him groan as he came to.  
“Thank god. Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine," he said, sounding more lucid, but still unable to prevent himself from slurring, “what the hell did they do to me?”  
“You said the name Ian Rider to them," she reminded the boy.  
“And they had no idea who he was,” he remembered with a sigh.  
“They could have been lying.”  
“I don’t think so. I don’t believe Grief had anything to do with his death.”  
“We can think about it later, right now we had to find a way out of here. I haven’t had any luck so far.”  
Alex struggled at his own bonds with similar results.  
“I don’t think we _can_ get out," Alex said, “I can’t move.”  
Chloe’s fear was amplified tenfold when she heard footsteps moving quickly towards the room. They echoed down the corridor like a warning. The agent’s knowledge of torture methods did nothing to calm her shaking body. They were going to be ripped apart for their secrets, and they couldn’t even fight back. A dark-haired head peeked around the door frame. Chloe nearly choked on her relief. It was Kyra, wearing a thick white winter jacket and matching trousers as well as bulky black boots. Her clothes were wet as if she had been outside.  
“Kyra!” she trapped agents said together before she shushed them.  
“Are you okay?” she ran to Alex and began undoing the buckles. Alex, however, suddenly gained an expression of distrust.  
“Oh, very good. Very good. Where’s the real one, eh? Trying to get me to talk by using one of your little clones? I’m not falling for it!”  
Kyra stopped what she was doing, “what on earth are you saying? It’s me!”  
“Bullshit.”  
Chloe didn’t know what to believe. It certainly was possible that this Kyra was a fake.  
“Oh for God’s- the washers, Dr Baxter getting stabbed, the music in the utility room- it’s me!”  
“Kyra…” Alex slumped back on the table, then, “why aren’t you letting me out?”  
“Tell me everything. Right now.”  
The boy looked at Chloe.  
“My name’s Chloe Hartford," she had decided that enough was enough. Kyra was in this as deep as them, “he’s Alex Rider. We were sent here to find out what Dr Grief was up to. Clearly, it was nothing good. Does that help?”  
“So… you’re spies or something?”  
“You could say that.”  
“I guess that’s pretty believable considering everything that has happened," the girl undid the buckles holding Alex’s hands down, hurrying over to let Chloe out next, “I believe you. For now.”  
With the last bond removed, Chloe hopped off the table. A rush of blood to her head almost made her fall. Kyra steadied her.  
“Thanks.”  
“What now?” she asked.  
“Now…” Chloe met Alex’s intense gaze, “it’s our turn to get the hell out of here.”

The cell was empty when they passed it on the way to the utility room. The agent shuddered to think of what had happened to its occupants. Guilt and regret plagued her thoughts. Maybe she should have stayed and freed them… But there was no time to linger on what-ifs. Soon, the three of them were gathered around the table in the dark room.  
“How did you find us?” Chloe asked, “I thought you got away?”  
“I retraced my steps so they thought I went into the woods when really I came right back," she explained, “you said you were going to the basement, so I just made a guess.”  
“We can’t thank you enough. I don’t think we would have made it otherwise.”  
“So how are we going to get down the mountain?”  
“You’re not,” Alex said. His eyes were bright. He’d had an idea, “get that ironing board.”  
Chloe picked it off the wall where it was hanging, he did the same with another.  
“I say we don’t need snowmobiles. I don’t know how to drive one anyway. I say we snowboard.”  
“You have to be joking,” Kyra said, “on an ironing board? It’s not even curved!”  
Alex moved the end of it over the edge of the table and pushed on it with all his weight. The rounded edge groaned as the metal bent.  
“That solves that problem…”  
The girl copied what Alex had done.  
“We just need straps now. Rip up some of those aprons. We can use the strings too.”  
After ten minutes of frantic work, Chloe and Alex had rigged out two respectable attempts at snowboards. They wouldn’t go too fast since they weren't exactly made for the snow and weren’t waxed, but they would carry them down a hill.  
“Me and Chloe will go down the mountain and get help. We have people. One word and this place will be raided, isn’t that right?”  
“Right. They’re waiting on our signal right now.”  
“What am I supposed to do?”  
“Hide. I know, it’s not ideal, but I think you’ll be safest that way.”  
“I’ll find the other’s first, then I’ll hide. But don’t you dare leave me. I stole some walkie talkies from a guard post before I found you guys," she pulled them from her pocket, “I’m on channel 9. Contact me when you get to the bottom. Promise?”  
“We promise.”  
There was nothing else to say.  
Most of the guards were out on the snowmobiles, looking for Kyra. That helped when Alex and the agent had to creep past the foyer to reach the back door. A little room with a security door held goggles and winter wear for the guards at Point Blanc. Chloe entered four zeros and let herself in. The clothes were many sizes too big for her, but there was no way she was going out in that weather without protection. Her hand stopped, hovering over the second set of security doors that led to the freezing exterior. Chloe turned to the boy at her back. Her clumsy gloved hands pulled his face to hers. She kissed him softly.  
“Be careful. Don’t die.”  
“Promise.”  
“Let’s go.”


	10. Chapter 10

Before they could even begin the descent, they had to climb a several meter high mound of snow. Behind it was the steep face of the mountain, pockmarked with its black rocks and sporadic forests. The nearest town was 20 miles away, that’s what Eva had said, but the nearest road was closer. They just had to find a driver willing to take them on. The agent was panting when they reached the top, already sweating under the heft of the snow gear. Chloe checked Alex’s fastenings, then he checked hers. The two of them stood on the boards, only a meter from the start of the decline. The landscape stretched seemingly forever in front of them, disappearing into the blue of the sky.  
“I suppose now would be a bad time to admit that I was never very good at snowboarding,” Chloe muttered, smiling grimly. But Alex didn’t hear her under the layers of material covering his ears.  
“Ready?” he shouted.  
The girl gave him the thumbs up and watched him push off. She waited until he was a good distance in front of her before doing the same. As the board dipped over the edge, Chloe thought she must have left her heart back on top of the snowy hill. She bent her knees and relaxed her arms, trying to remember what she had learnt from the instructor. It had been hard enough to maintain balance with the proper equipment. She felt like she was going over the Niagara Falls in a barrel by comparison. Speed was gathering quickly. Alex was already far ahead of her, clearly more skilled at the sport. If she could keep going straight, she would be okay. Just as the girl was beginning to enjoy herself, she heard the roar of multiple engines. Alex had heard it too, whipping his head around quickly to see what it was. Three men were following them on black snowmobiles, making quick work of the distance they had already travelled. All too soon, they were right on the girl’s tail. To top it all off, they were approaching a cluster of trees. She crouched down a little, hoping to accelerate even a little more. She was vaguely aware that should she hit a tree at this speed, she would break every bone in her body. If the board caught on a root or rock, she would dislocate if not break both her legs. But there was no choice but to gather more speed or she would never lose them.

There were gunshots and Chloe saw plumes of white snow exploding around her. At least the trees were blocking some of the shots. Once, twice, three times, the agent nearly lost her balance while dodging trunks and debris. Blood was pumping in her ears, she couldn’t even hear the gunfire or the engines anymore. Dread filled her heart as she saw the trees break into a clearing about twenty meters ahead. Out in the open, there would be no way to avoid the gunfire. And as that panic set in, Chloe lost her balance for good. With her attention focussed on what to do when she left the tree line, she hadn’t seen the natural ramp made out of soft snow. The girl felt her board leave the earth and desperately tried to keep the thing parallel to the ground, but she was already twisted too far. Thinking quickly, she curled into a ball. Her left side hit the snow, blessedly soft after last night's snowfall. She was rolling uncontrollably down the side of the mountain. Every so often, she saw the snowmobiles come back into view, still right behind her. The timing of the rolls became steadier and Chloe dug the side of the board, still attached to her feet, into the ground. It didn’t work completely, but she had slowed down. She did it again. This time she was able to keep the metal dug into the snow. She had slid fifteen meters before finally coming to a stop. The girl tried to stand, then fell onto her back. One of the vehicles stopped beside her. The other two sped past to pursue Alex. Chloe stayed where she was, looking up at the man’s masked and goggled face. He pulled out a walkie talkie.  
“J’ai la fille. Elle est vivante. Quelle sont vôtres commandes?... D’accord.”  
The man replaced the device in his pocket. The bindings around her feet and ankles were undone roughly. Chloe couldn’t fight back, she couldn’t even see straight. Her whole body felt like it had been run through a washing machine. The man slung her over his shoulder and sat her on the front of the vehicle. He then used the same straps to tie her wrists.  
“If you know what’s good for you," he said in heavily accented English, “you won’t try and escape. Unless you like the idea of lying broken at the bottom of this mountain.”  
Chloe was just trying not to be sick. There were still gunshots firing further down the slope. Alex would be okay. He was a great snowboarder. He could lose them. He had to.

The agent was delivered right back to Eva’s Stellenbosch’s clutches. Red lipstick was stuck to her teeth. There was a new kind of madness in her eyes. Her hair was less smooth, her clothes a little ruffled. Chloe was back in the basement, this time secured to an upright device that forced her to stand. A metal ring held her neck in place, as did similar cuffs around her wrists, middle and ankles.  
“You have caused me a great deal of irritation,” it was clear that Eva was at breaking point, “you are going to tell me who you are, and why you’re here.”  
“You seemed stressed, Eva. Things not going to plan?”  
The Dean balled her hand into a fist and thrust it into the girl’s stomach. Air was driven from her body under force of the strike. It seemed impossible for the woman to be so strong. The agent couldn’t speak for several minutes as she writhed in pain.  
“I am done being nice. You are resistant to our drugs, I don’t even trust that pain would make you talk.”  
The woman left, returning a few minutes later with James. A gun was pressed to his spine.  
“You have forced my hand, girl,” she said through gritted teeth, “it would be the easiest thing in the world for me to kill this boy. Dr Grief has no further use for him. And if you still won’t talk, there’s five other’s where he came from.”  
Fat tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks, his face was twisted in fear.  
“Leave him out of this!”  
Eva grabbed a fistful of the boy’s hair and pulled. He screamed.  
“Stop it! Stop!”  
“Are you going to talk?”  
Chloe looked at James.  
“Fine. Just let him go.”  
With a smirk, Eva left the room and returned without the boy.  
“Is he safe?”  
“Perfectly. Now. Tell me who you are.”  
Every instinct was screaming at her to keep silent. She could hear Jones’ voice, yelling at her for being so stupid. But when she thought about those kids lying dead because of her, the choice was inevitable.  
“My name is Chloe Hartford. I work for MI6.”  
“MI6? So you were sent to find out our ‘education’ methods were you?” Eva laughed humorlessly, “to think that organisation has sunk so low to use children.”  
“It worked, didn’t it?”  
“Not well enough. You’ve failed. Now, tell me who your superiors are and where they are based so that I can kill them myself.”  
Chloe choked on the names.  
“I could bring James back if you would prefer? I always thought ten fingers was too many.”  
“Tulip Jones,” the shame the agent felt was sickening. She had betrayed her family, “Alan Blunt. Royal and General Bank.”  
“Excellent. Wonderful.”  
The gun was still in the woman’s hands as she approached the captive. Chloe flinched away from the barrel.  
“I’m going to let your hands free,” the girl was shown a pair of silver handcuffs, “then put these on. If you even twitch the wrong way I’ll kill you.”  
Chloe did as she was told, stepping out of the restraints and clicking the cuff on. Eva checked they were tight.  
“You’re lucky Dr. Grief wants you as a hostage. Let’s hope MI6 thinks you're as valuable as he does, otherwise you're just dead weight.”

The woman escorted her to the empty cell. Suddenly, something clicked in Chloe’s brain.  
“Where are the others?”  
Eva’s smirk told her all she needed to know. The agent had been tricked. The James being threatened by the Dean had been a fake. Chloe hoped that the real students were being held somewhere else and not disposed of already. It also confirmed her suspicions. Duplicates had been made of all of them. Grief had an army of the most influential children in the world, and they all were loyal to him. They were him. The door to the cell was locked behind her.  
“Put your hands through the bars. I'll take the cuffs off,” said Stellenbosch, “I’m not without any mercy.”  
The sound of static was heard from Eva’s pocket. She held the walkie talkie to her ear.  
“Go ahead.”  
In the few moments that the woman had turned around, Chloe undid one of her earrings. The metal around her wrists clinked noisily, but Eva didn’t notice.  
“We found the boy. He’s been hit by a truck. He’s dead,” said the voice on the other end.  
Chloe’s eyes filled with tears. It couldn’t be… The woman’s reaction couldn’t have been any more different than Chloe’s. She was smiling, relieved that one problem had been eliminated.  
“Good. Return to base,” she put the device away, “hands,” she ordered.  
Chloe slid her wrists out of the cell. Between her thumb and forefinger was the earring. The girl waited until Eva had unlocked them before she made a move.  
“What are you holding-”  
The woman didn't have time to finish before Chloe stabbed the point into the palm of her hand. Eva recoiled violently, but Chloe grabbed her arm before she got away. She still had the key to the cell. Chloe leant back and pulled with all her strength. A vein throbbed in the woman’s temple as she pushed just as hard... Her body was pressed painfully on the bars.  
“Let me go you little rat! What did you do to me?”  
Even as she said the words, the sedative was taking effect. With each passing second, Eva was losing strength. Chloe’s arms burned. She put one foot against the bars and pushed against them. The Dean grunted, teeth clenched. Her eyelids fluttered and her eyes rolled backwards. Finally, she slumped to the floor as if her power supply had been cut off. Chloe fished the keys out of the woman’s pocket and let herself out. Then she thread the cuffs through the bars and clamped them around Eva’s wrists.  
The agent put her hand over her mouth as she gasped, tears stinging her eyes. Alex was dead. She had failed him. And it was all her fault. She roughly rubbed her eyes. Kyra. Kyra was still here somewhere. She could at least protect her. Maybe find a gun. Her cover was broken. The only thing left to do was shoot her way out or die trying. But first, Chloe wanted a souvenir from the lab. Something to bring back to MI6 as proof of Dr Grief’s plan. She ran to where she remembered the white _Gemini Project_ folder to be. Just as she grabbed it, the sound of gunfire could be heard from somewhere far away. Chloe wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or terrified. Gunfire could mean they were killing the hostages. It could mean they’d found Kyra. But it could also mean that MI6 had come to her aid. Chloe quickly looked around the room and her eyes landed on a tray of small metal tools, one of which was a scalpel. Deadly sharp. Not much use against a gun, but it would have to do until she found something better. The alarm system was blaring, red emergency lights flashing above every door. Chloe ran to the exit, only to be intercepted by Eva Stellenbosch.  
“How-”  
Eva kicked out before she could finish. The blow missed Chloe’s head by a hair. Dropping the folder, she brought the scalpel up in front of her.  
“How did you get out?” she shouted over the alarm, “how are you still standing?”  
The two women circled each other. Eva had discarded her heels and was padding around barefoot. She was somewhat unsteady on her feet. The drug had worked, just not completely. Chloe remembered the force of the kick she had unleashed just moments earlier and resolved not to underestimate the woman, even in this state.  
“You’re not the only one who has had special training, girl. You have no idea the lengths the Doctor and I are willing to go to achieve our goal.”  
“And what is that goal?”  
“Revolution. Total reconstruction of the current world order. I don’t expect you to understand it. Dr Grief has a vision that must be realised. His children will allow him to live on, even after his body dies.”  
“What he wants is to be a dictator.”  
“Not a dictator, just a politician.”  
Eva was frighteningly quick, clearing the space between them in less than a second. Chloe blocked the strike to her abdomen, countering by slashing with her weapon. The woman jumped back deftly, but her arm had been cut. The agent surged forward to tackle her opponent as she was off balance. The two of them crashed into a cabinet full of chemicals. The glass shattered around them. Eva shrieked as her back was sliced by the shards. The scalped was pinned flat between them. A knee planted itself in Chloe’s stomach. She gasped and staggered backwards. The Dean was panting. She reached her hand around and winced as she touched her back. Her fingers came back red and bloody. Stellenbosch’s footfalls were heavy as she approached the girl, throwing objects lying around the lab at her. The agent herself was at her limit. Already having crashed from the adrenaline high of snowboarding, she had been running on nothing ever since she had been captured. It was all she could be to hold her arms up as Eva threw test tubs, folders and bottles at her.  
“You’re going to die,” Eva spat, “you’ve fought so hard, but you’ve failed, and we’ve won. Everything you’ve done has been for nothing. And Alex is dead. You’re all on your own.”  
Chemicals were leaking all over the floor. Chloe slipped and fell, crawling into a corner.  
“Insignificant little brat. Our work here-" she threw a bottle of clear liquid and it exploded on a piece of electrical equipment. Chloe watched in fear as sparks spat from the machine and lit the floor on fire, “is vital!”  
Eva was in too much of a rage to care about the fire. Like a horse in blinkers, she could only see the girl in front of her. There was nothing on her mind other than death. She picked the girl up by her coat, throwing her across the room. Blood from Eva’s wounds was mixing with the chemicals on the floor. The fire was spreading rapidly. Chloe knew she had to get out immediately before either Eva killed her, or she was burned to death. Then she saw the canisters of oxygen lined up in the back. The flames had reached them, lapping at their base. The agent used her last remaining ounce of strength to crawl under the table.  
“Pathetic. I suppose even MI6 agents fear death.”  
It was the last thing she said before the canisters exploded, and Chloe lost all sense of reality.

There was more gunfire, shouting, screaming. The explosion had thrown her across the room and covered her with rubble. Dust was everywhere, filling her lungs and getting into her eyes. The girl pushed the debris from her legs and began to crawl to the exit. The fire was still raging, heat beating down on her from every angle. Eva’s body was barely visible under all the rubble, but when Chloe took her pulse, it was clear she was dead. Blood dripped from a wound on the agent’s temple but the pain felt far away from her. She was nearly there, just a few more feet. The girl pulled herself up using a trolley as leverage and tried to open the door. It would not. Eva must have locked it. Chloe let out a sob. The flames were rising ever higher, licking at her back. New energy entered her body in the form of desperation. She threw her body weight against the door, again and again, but it would not move. The girl screamed and tried again. She wasn’t going to make it.  
“Chloe?” came a voice from behind the door. It was impossible to tell who it was over the sounds of gunfire and the roaring flames.  
“I’m in here! Help me!”  
“Stand back!”  
There were a few moments where nothing happened, then suddenly the door was forced open. Splinters of wood went flying as the lock was torn apart. Alex Rider placed his foot back on the ground.  
“Alex..” she flew to his open arms. “I thought you were dead.”  
“I saw you come off your board, I thought you were dead.”  
“We’ve got to move, Cub.”  
The huge man, Wolf, from MI6’s test, was holding a machine gun and pointing in the direction of the basement stairs.  
“Can you walk?”  
“Yes.”  
Alex put his arm under her shoulders. Chloe had said she could walk, but the boy was taking most of her weight. Wolf took point, whipping around every corner with his gun and signalling for them to follow.  
“Eva’s dead,” Chloe told them. “what about Grief?”  
“We have him,” said the man.  
“And the students? The real ones?”  
“All safe. Thanks to Kyra. She got them out before they could be used as hostages. Their counterparts have all been apprehended.”  
That explained why Eva had been so frantic. Chloe wondered what the woman would have done to the fake James had Chloe not agreed to talk. 

The bright winter sun was blinding after the basement. There were MI6 soldiers everywhere. A helicopter waiting in the snow. Others circled in the air like crows. Chloe recognised Kyra’s small frame, shivering beneath a foil blanket.  
“Told you we wouldn’t leave you,” Chloe smiled, “you were amazing. I heard you saved the others.”  
The dark-haired girl’s blush turned to concern as she noticed the cut on Chloe’s head.  
“You’re bleeding!” she said.  
“Yes, I am.”  
“You two…” Kyra shook her head, “Jesus… spies…”  
“Spies,” Alex confirmed.  
“So, you two aren’t brother and sister then?”  
“No relation whatsoever.”  
“I saw my double back in there,” Kyra clutched the blanket, “she looked exactly like me. It was some freaky nightmare shit.”  
“I wonder what’s going to be done with them,” Alex said. “It’s not like they can be rehabilitated.”  
“I just never want to see her again. I’ll have nightmares for the rest of my life about her coming to replace me.”  
“Don’t worry. None of them will ever see the outside of a cell for the rest of their lives.”  
Chloe had never been so happy to see Jones. Guilt still gripped her when she thought about how she had given the woman up, but the girl hid it behind a mask of joy.  
“You look absolutely awful, both of you," the woman said though she was smiling, “now, let’s get you home.”


	11. Chapter 11

The agent got up and stretched her legs. A week of strictly enforced bed rest had left the girl desperate to recover. Today, she felt strong enough to walk around on her own. Jones was horrified when she learnt about her charge’s little tumble down a mountain and subsequent run-in with explosive gas. Despite a very bruised body and a nasty gash on her temple, Chloe was feeling great. No one could say the mission hadn’t been a success. They had Grief and his children, the real kids were safe. Very soon, the doctor would be spilling all of his secrets and it was all thanks to herself and Alex. The boy had visited her multiple times over the week. He still had a few days of school before the term ended.  
“I managed to shake one of them off in the forest,” he had explained when she asked how he had survived, “the other was still on me. I thought I’d get shot in the back before I ever reached the road. Then suddenly I was right on top of it. I managed to get the board off just before this snow clearer ran right into me. I woke up in a French hospital with Jones standing over me. I told her everything and we were in a helicopter flying over the mountain within hours.”  
“Thank God they didn’t check your body.”  
She hugged him. He still didn’t feel quite real. Seeing him burst through that door was like seeing a dead person come to life.  
“Hey, this is going to sound dumb,“ he scratched the back of his neck, “well, it’s just that there’s this prom for the sixth formers this Friday. Convicts and criminals. That’s the theme.”  
He blushed hotly, misreading Chloe’s grin as mocking him.  
“Forget it-”  
“I want to come," she said, “I’d love to go.”  
“Great, I’m glad.”  
The girl leant against his chest, enjoying his scent and his warmth.  
“Are we going as convicts or criminals?”  
“Definitely criminals. There’s no way we could ever be caught.”  
“If you were anyone else, I’d make fun of you for saying something so cheesy," she laughed, “I’ll forgive it this once.”  
Their faces inched closer and their lips met. Chloe let him push her into the mattress.  
“Ouch," she winced. Her body was still extremely sore, “easy there, tiger.”  
“Sorry. Another time,” he said, climbing off her with extreme care.  
“Definitely another time,” Chloe said and pecked his lips.

Debriefs were always Chloe’s least favourite part of being in MI6. Nothing could be done without dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s multiple times over. Alex sat across from her, just like he had on the first day they had met. Even though it had only been a few weeks, the girl felt as though she had aged more in that time than her whole life put together.  
“I would like to extend my congratulations to both of you," Blunt was at the head of the table with Jones at his side, “good work.”  
“Extend your congratulations a little further Blunt," Chloe quipped, “I don’t think you’ve quite reached me yet.”  
The man was impassive as always. The girl had expected this, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t hoped to see him smile for once.  
“Yeah," said Alex, “haven’t we basically saved the world?  
“A little humility goes a long way, Mr Rider. But yes. You very well may have.”  
“Put that on my gravestone," he waved a hand, “ _Alex Rider. Possibly saved the world. Maybe not. Who knows_.”  
The head of MI6 ignored him, “we have taken the liberty of extending Jack’s visa. She can live and work in the UK without worry.”  
“So things can finally go back to normal?”  
Chloe suddenly felt sad. Did ‘back to normal’ exclude her? Despite her growing affection for the boy, if he wanted to forget about everything and live a regular life, she wouldn’t get in the way of that. Even if it hurt.  
“Yes. Normal. For a time. Enjoy yourself by all means. I hear you even have a school dance coming up. But we will be keeping you in mind, Alex.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“It means," Jones said, “that Blunt thinks there may yet be further use for you.”  
“I’ll tell you what I said the first time I was here. Take your spy shit and fuck off. I don’t want it.”  
“Indeed," Blunt got up from his chair, “you can try and deny it Alex, but this is in your blood. I don’t think this will be the last time we see each other.”  
The boy took Blunt’s hand and shook it.  
“What about me and Chloe?”  
The girl in question perked up.  
“What about her?”  
“Can I still see her?”  
“See her?” Alex didn’t elaborate, “as long as you don’t interfere with her work, then I don’t see why not.”  
“That went better than I thought it would.”  
“Our agents have lives, Alex. Chloe is free to do as she likes within reason. I’m not her father.”  
The agent grinned at the boy. Embarrassed at how happy she was that he still wanted to see her, even if it meant remaining affiliated with MI6 by proxy. Chloe saw him off once the meeting was over. The next time they’d see each other would be the night of the prom. 

Kyra had been living in Barracks across from Chloe ever since they’d come back. It was the safest place for her. Her parents hadn’t got in contact, nor could they be reached. She had nowhere to go. MI6 was keeping a close eye on her. Kyra couldn’t go anywhere without an escort. At night, her room was inaccessible to others without a keycard and inescapable to her. They let her visit Chloe as she recovered. The agent could see the girl losing hope of ever seeing her parents again with each day.  
“Maybe you’ll think it’s too girly,” Chloe said, “but how about we go shopping? I need clothes for Alex’s prom and you need to get out of here for a while.”  
“Fine. But you’re buying me a coffee first.”  
It was surprisingly hard to come up with a costume idea for a criminal. Chloe had been paid more money than she had ever seen for the successful mission. It was why people were attracted to the position after all. They sat down in a cafe before looking around. Kyra ordered something sugary and creamy while Chloe just had water.  
“What are your plans then?” the agent asked, “when MI6 finds your parents, are you going to go back to them?”  
“Probably. Being away has made me realise how much I love them. I can’t believe how awful I was.”  
“I guess the threat of being replaced will do that to you.”  
Kyra swirled her coffee around in the cup, “I just hope they’re okay. They were off travelling while we were at Point Blanc. Who knows where they are?”  
“I’m sure we’ll find them.”  
“What about you? Where are your parents?”  
“They died when I was young,” Chloe lied.  
“I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay. I don’t really remember them.”  
“How did you get involved in all of this anyway? I understand Alex was a special case, but you...”  
“I’m a top-secret government experiment. I’ve been trained since birth to be the deadliest assassin the world has ever known. I have titanium claws hidden in my knuckles,” they laughed, “come on, Kyra. Let’s just go shopping.” 

A car came to pick Kyra up when they’d finished. They parted with the promise of meeting again the next day. With shopping done, Chloe took the bus to Alex’s house. Jack Starbright was ecstatic to see the agent again. Their injuries had been explained away with a freak car accident. Jack didn't seem that convinced, but something told her to keep her concerns to herself for now. Alex intercepted before the woman could wrap her arms around her.  
“Chloe’s still on the mend, Jack. We have to be gentle.”  
“Piss off," Chloe laughed, “I can manage a hug.”  
Jack kissed Chloe on the cheek instead.  
“Good to see you again, honey.”  
“You too, Jack.”  
It was absurd to her that the last time she was in this house, Chloe was faking intimacy with Alex. Now all she wanted to do was rip his clothes off for real. She could tell he felt the same. Chloe was still in too much pain to go any further than the most delicate of touches.  
“I’ve ordered pizza,“ Alex said. “I hope you like pepperoni. I’ll be back in twenty.”  
Chloe took the clothes upstairs to his room. The ear-piercing kit was on the dresser where they had left it. The girl touched her right earlobe. The hole had already healed over, though the left was still pierced with a regular earring. She took a shower, turning the water on as hot as it would go. The heat felt good against her sore muscles and soothed her for a time. It baffled her that Alex could get hit by a truck and be fine. Not that she was anything other than grateful that he wasn’t seriously hurt. She towelled her hair dry began brushing on mascara. There was a knock on the door.  
“Come in?”  
Alex let himself in. He didn’t have the pizza, nor could she smell the familiar scent of bread and cheese from inside the house.  
“Did they mess up the order?” she asked. His face was initially blank.  
“Yeah. Sorry.”  
“It’s fine. Probably not the best idea to dance on a full stomach anyway.”  
Alex nodded and came up behind her as she continued to apply mascara. He wrapped his arms around her middle, pressing his mouth against her shoulder.  
“Mmm."  
She loved that tickling pleasure of his lips on her sensitive skin. He kissed up to her jaw, then to her mouth. Soon, the mascara brush was forgotten and Chloe was lost in the heat of the kiss. A moment after that and they were both falling onto the bed.  
“Ah. Ouch," Chloe winced, “careful.”  
Alex’s elbow had accidentally pressed into her abdomen. The flesh Eva had struck was still very tender. The boy said nothing, only continued to touch her. He tried to pull her t-shirt over her head. She grabbed his hand.  
“We should stop. This isn’t going to work.”  
The look he gave her sent a chill right to her core. Alarm bells were screaming in the girl’s head. Ignoring her protesting body, she pushed the boy off and jumped up.  
“You’re scaring me, Alex,” she whispered.  
“Come here," he patted the bed. Chloe had never seen his mouth twist into that awful smile before, “I know you want it.”  
The agent slapped him.  
“What’s wrong with you?”  
He said nothing.  
Chloe grabbed her things and ran down the stairs, right past Jack who was laying the table. She tried to ask what was wrong but the girl was already out the door. Worried, Jack followed her all the way to the bus stop around the corner.  
“Stop! What’s going on? Are you okay?”  
Chloe was barely containing her tears. The pain of betrayal hurt more than anything. It was as if she had suddenly found out who Alex really was.  
“I’m okay, Jack.”  
The woman sat next to her on the bench.  
“Come one, you look like you’re about to start bawling, what happened? Do your injuries hurt?”  
“Me and Alex had a...fight. I just need to be by myself.”  
Jack was visibly confused but only patted her head.  
“Alright, sweetie. I’ll give you some time. Text me when you get home safe.”  
Chloe said that she would, and got on the next bus to MI6.


	12. Chapter 12

‘Home’ Jack had said, but Chloe’s room in MI6 didn’t exactly feel that way. She had spent more nights in boot camp bunk beds and sleeping bags under the stars than in that small, impersonal room. It felt more lonely that evening than ever. The agent threw her bags on the floor and sat at the desk. The future had seemed so clear up until what Alex had done. Chloe wanted to feel angry at him, but she just felt sad and betrayed. Her phone pinged. It was him.  
_If I upset you, I’m sorry. Are you still coming to prom? I found the suit you bought me and I love it. I want to talk to you, please come?”_  
Chloe groaned into her pillow. A part of her desperately wanted to see him, another wanted to slap him again. The Alex Rider from the mission and the one that had shown himself now wouldn’t connect in her head. Like pieces of a puzzle that didn’t slot together. How could she have trusted him with her life, and her with his if these were his true colours? How could he not see what he had done wrong? Unsure about her decision, she texted him back.  
_Fine. Where do you want to meet?_  
A few minutes passed before she got an answer.  
_Outside the gates. You’re my plus one._  
If nothing else, Chloe just wanted to hear his explanation for his behaviour. The prom would start in an hour. She finished applying her makeup and slipped on the black and white pinstripe trouser suit. She wore the jacket open, showing a black silk blouse. Around her neck, she wore a silver chain. The heels she had bought were waiting by the door, but she opted for flats instead. Jones had arranged for a driver to take her there, a rare moment of generosity from the woman. Chloe told the man to drop her around the corner from the entrance.  
“Aren’t you going to get out?” he asked her after the car was stationary for ten minutes. The day had already turned to darkness.  
“I thought I’d make him sweat for a while,” she explained. The driver barked a laugh.  
“I’d hate to see how you treat people you don’t like.”  
Chloe stepped out and moved towards the entrance, heart thumping loudly. Dozens of students were filing in wearing all manner of outfits and colours. There were fake plastic handcuffs and black and white stripes all around. Music was playing inside, but she could only hear the bass through the walls. Alex was already at the gate, wearing plain clothes. He smiled at her.  
“You look great,” he said.  
“Let’s just go inside.”  
The silence between them was uncharacteristic of their usual dynamic. It made Chloe uncomfortable. But Alex was still smiling as he gave his name to the teacher out front.

The boy took her into the gym where the prom was being held. There was a bar serving non-alcoholic drinks on one side, and a DJ booth on the stage. The room had been decorated to look like a big prison cell. Grey cardboard panels had been stuck to the walls and there were coloured red lights hanging from the ceiling. On the floor were the shapes of bodies marked out in white tape.  
“Isn’t this cool?” Alex said, admiring the decor “I thought we could talk in the library.”  
She followed him down a set of stairs. Students who had come to get away from the music were milling around. They chatted as they took sips from beer cans they’d smuggled in. They were moving further and further away from anyone else. The library was deserted and dark. Alex didn’t turn on the lights as they entered. Chloe suddenly felt anger bubbling inside her.  
“What’s going on with you?” she said. Her voice cracked, “I’ve never seen you act like this before. I know that coming back from a mission can be difficult, I’ve been struggling with it as well, but that doesn’t give you the right to take it out on me!”  
It had all come out in a rush. Alex barely reacted. He seemed more interested in fiddling with the stanchions at the front desk.  
“Talk to me,” she pleaded.  
“I care about you,” he said, unclipping a belt from the pole, “it’s just been hard to adjust after everything that happened.”  
“I understand that. I do,” Chloe suddenly felt guilty for her outburst, though she knew it had been justified, “there are services that can help you at MI6. And I’m here for you too.”  
Alex was untwisting the pole from its base. An icy finger ran up the girl’s spine. Something was very wrong.  
“You and Jack. You’re all he has. He would be devastated if something happened to you.”  
The pieces clicked together. Chloe’s first instinct was to run. There was no way she could fight in her condition, but the only exit was being blocked by Alex. He had fully unscrewed the pole and was now holding it in both hands like a bat. There was a pointed screw sticking out of the bottom.  
“Get away from me,” Chloe stepped back as he stepped forward, “how did you get here?”  
“Hitchhiking mostly. It was hard. Sometimes people didn’t want to help so they had to die. And all to see both of you. Give me your phone.”  
“No.”  
The clone lashed out with the metal pole. He was too quick, Chloe couldn’t dodge it in time. The metal slammed against her torso. She doubled over on the floor in an attempt to protect herself. Alex pinned her shoulders under his knees. His legs held hers down.  
“What do you think? Shall we get him over here? I wonder how he’ll react when he sees himself killing you?”  
The clone started a video. He focussed it on Chloe’s face as he gripped it in his free hand.  
“You have 5 minutes, Rider. I know you’re here. Tell anyone and I kill her.”  
Chloe lashed out at her attacker, having wiggled her arm free. He dropped the phone and caught her fist before it connected.  
“You’ve destroyed my whole family," he spat, “now he’s going to lose his. And after that, I’ll get yours. Tulip Jones and Alan Blunt was it? The whole of the British government won’t stop me from slitting their throats one by one.”  
Chloe blanched, “how do you know their names?”  
“How do _you_ think Eva Stellenbosch got out of those handcuffs? I was there with the others. My brothers and sisters.”  
“You’ll never get to them," Chloe was certain, “there’s no way a failed experiment like you could ever breach MI6.”  
The boy’s lips curled into a grimace. Chloe was astounded that, even though he had Alex’s face, the fake had twisted it into something unrecognizable. He gripped her throat and squeezed. Any pretence of restraint had disappeared; he was trying to kill her. Chloe kicked her legs and tried to move her torso, but the fake was too heavy and too strong. She could feel her face turning red and hot. Then, the boy’s grip loosened as Alex burst through the door.  
“Get off her!”  
The fake cursed and jumped away before Alex’s kick connected. Chloe rolled onto her side, sucking in one painful breath after another. The boys were fighting but she couldn’t see them with her eyes pressed shut. One of them had landed a blow while the other cried out and fell. It was impossible to tell which was which as they sounded the same. The agent forced herself to her feet. Seeing this, Alex told her to run. He was wearing the pinstripe suit she’d bought for him. At the same time, Chloe got a phone call. The name ‘Jones’ lit up on the screen.  
“Grief’s dead, but he told us that Alex’s clone may still be alive," the woman said, not bothering with pleasantries, “he may already be here. Have you seen anything suspicious?”  
Chloe could have laughed, “he’s already here!” she screamed at the receiver, “get over here now!”  
The phone was torn from her hand by the furious clone. Alex was lying in a heap amongst a pile of books and overturned chairs. He smashed it against the wall as he reached out to grab her. Chloe side-stepped his hand. She had just enough strength to use his forward momentum against him. The boy flew over her shoulder and landed on his back. A grunt escaped him, but he was soon back on his feet. Chloe couldn’t manage another move like that. She darted behind a bookshelf and pushed it over as he came closer. Books fell on his head but he simply batted them away. He caught the shelf before it hit him. Alex was up, wielding the metal pole as he crept up behind his double. The agent began throwing books at the attacker, anything to distract him from noticing Alex.  
It worked. The boy brought the weapon down against the clone’s neck. He was thrown sideways. In an instant, Alex was on him, pinning him down under his weight. Chloe undid Alex’s black tie and fastened it to the double’s wrists. The boy said nothing, too dazed from the hit to be able to fight back. Chloe could see several cars pull up in the school’s courtyard. Their headlights illuminated the library. For the first time, the agent saw both boys clearly. A part of the girl had assumed that there must have been differences between Grief’s children and their doubles. As she looked between the two before her eyes, it was clear that he was a perfect recreation. He was Alex Rider in every way apart from inside. They were both gritting their teeth as one tried to escape and the other kept him down. Dr Baxter had even recreated the slight twist on Alex’s front tooth. Soldiers entered with their guns lowered. Jones was right behind them. The fake was flipped onto his back and placed in handcuffs. Alex staggered back and caught himself on the table. Another man restrained him too.  
“Hey, I’m the real one here!” he protested.  
Jones looked to Chloe, who had sunk into a chair, rubbing her neck.  
“Who’s the real one?”  
“Him,” Chloe pointed to the boy in the suit, “definitely him.”

The kids at school would talk about how the police were called on their prom for years to come. Something about a prank call about a bomb. To them, it was just an interesting story to tell their friends. The clones were imprisoned in a facility not found on any map or internet search. One that only MI6 had access to. Jones fought for them to receive counselling. After all, it was not their fault their father had created them for an evil purpose. Even Alex’s clone would have someone to listen to him. The real one pulled Chloe into his lap as a movie began to play on his laptop. They had both had time to recover. Normalcy was finally returning after what felt like forever.  
“I’m sorry for what he did to you," Alex said for probably the hundredth time.  
“It’s not your fault," Chloe pressed a kiss onto his jaw.  
“But he had my face. I can’t imagine what that must have been like. How you must have felt.”  
“It felt awful, but I know it wasn’t you now. It could never have been you.”  
“I see him in my dreams sometimes,” she could feel him tense up, “I don’t think I’ll ever stop seeing him.”  
Chloe twisted around and pulled him into a tight embrace. She didn’t know what to say.  
“Are you going to continue working for MI6?” he asked.  
“Yes. It’s all I know.”  
“It doesn’t have to be.”  
“They’re my family, Alex.”  
“You don’t owe them anything.”  
“I do,” he grew silent and she pulled away. The look in his eyes was pensive, “do you remember what I told you back at Point Blanc?” he nodded, “So? What’s your answer?”

* * *

This was super fun to write. Please leave a review, comments are golden! I kind of held myself back on romantic moments and fluff because I thought it might be a bit cringe. Would you guys have preferred more or none? I'm thinking about writing a sequel with an original plot that's not based on the books/show. Part of me just wants to go full-on with the fluff- what are your thought on that? Either way, thanks for reading!


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